WHY ARE WE WALKING???
Many people see and hear that we are devoting a lot of time and energy to walking and they wonder why we are doing this. Our response is that we feel that encouraging people of all abilities to walk is the most important thing that we can be doing right now. Walking is simple, accessible, efficient, and the benefits are endless. If we can get more people walking, the positive outcomes for Bristol will be enormous. If you consider all of the challenges that we face in most every arena during COVID-19 times, walking provides a means for making most of these things better.
-
If you walk every day for 30 minutes or more, your brain functions at a higher level and you are capable of making better decisions while being more creative.
-
By assigning a portion of the day to walking, you bring a level of productive and positive structure to the entire day.
-
Walking puts things in perspective. When you walk outside and observe the natural world, your mind clears and many of the issues causing stress and anxiety settle into place. Yes, the issues remain, but you feel better able to cope with those issues.
-
Walking tends to keeps unhealthy addictive behaviors at bay. You feel good about yourself because you walked and are not as likely to need other props to fill the void.
-
Walking with an app like MapMyWalk connects you with other people. You become part of a community of like minded walkers. You feel supported, accountable and motivated.
-
Walking cuts health care costs through preventive health care. Probabilities for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are significantly reduced.
-
Walking provides a firm physical foundation from which to live your life. You feel healthier and more productive. Your immune system is stronger. You are less likely to experience depression or other mental health issues.
-
Walking is a simple discipline, which, like making your bed every morning, gives you a sense of momentum and the will to follow through on your goals. Walking helps you to self regulate and make positive choices.
-
The simplicity and steady cadence found in walking translate to the steady perseverance needed in other areas of life.
-
Walking lets you explore, it lets your mind leave the confines of the computer or the work station or the home screen so that these aspects of your life don’t dominate your life.
As an agency, River’s Way seeks to use its resources to better the overall quality of life in Bristol. Although our primary service population is youth and young adults with differing abilities, we feel that this population is best served when they are able to contribute to the well being of the community. This allows for personal growth of our participants and it allows for community recognition of the capabilities of people with differing abilities.
We would like to see Bristol become more of a walking community where sidewalks, residential streets, parks and school tracks are filled with people who are walking. We want to see people with differing abilities demonstrating their ability to walk and to set goals for themselves. We think people with differing abilities are uniquely capable of motivating people of all abilities. If people with differing abilities are out there walking, there is no reason why the vast majority of people cannot walk.