We Are Community. We Are Walk & Talk. Together We Achieve More!

We started a local walking group a while back. Walk & Talk Inglewood. The idea was to meet potential app users and understand their needs so that we can build a better product for the community. One that is valuable and can genuinely help improve other people’s lives. We always wanted to build a community through the app, virtually as well as in person. So our walking group felt like the logical first step towards it.

We are visualising a community that comes together to support and help each other in the quest to become more active. One that:

• Gathers people that want to change their life for the better.
• Is positive, supportive and understanding.
• Is aware that it can be daunting to join a new group and therefore makes an effort to include any new members.
• Is respectful, supportive and fun.
• Understands that it takes time to instil a new habit.
• Is inclusive of everybody.
• Makes everyone feel more connected and less lonely.

I posted in my local Facebook community and hoped that many would be interested and join. I got a lot of likes, but not so many showed up. The ones that did show up quickly became the core of the group. They are all interesting, kind and curious people. Easy to talk to. So easy that the 60 min walk feels like 5 minutes. Most have some physical limitations. A sore hip or back or even recovering from more substantial health scares. Others have gone through separations and are somewhat lonely. It is a small but lovely group. One that reflects our values.

Initially there was not much growth happening. We started doubting the whole idea. Was it worth giving up our Sunday mornings with our families? We always answered “Yes!” to this question as we could see the importance of this group for the existing members.

We decided to keep going.

How can we get in touch with people? We decided to advertise on other surrounding local community pages, and slowly but surely, the numbers are finally growing.

Today we had several new walkers attend our group. Here are some observations:

• One walker mentioned that she walks daily and feels envy when she sees walking groups. She said she often wonders how they met and gets sad not having one herself. She feels lonely. Several others had the same feeling.
• Another mentioned that she needed a knee replacement, but the doctor told her she needed to lose some weight first.
• One member only walked half way around as she had a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up, but she knew it was important enough for her to come along anyway.
• Another mentioned that walking helped to relieve his back pain.
• There is no sense of competition in our group. You can walk fast or slow, part of the course or all of the course. Whatever works for each person is fine. We all support each other.

Hearing these stories made us see that we are on the right track.

We know there is a need in our community for a group like ours. We know there is a need in every community for a group like ours.

We know that there are barriers to starting to come to a group like ours.

• First, deciding whether to become more active and healthy can be a big step in itself.
• Secondly, it’s uncomfortable to put yourself out there. Social anxiety in a world where most conversations are held virtually is real.
• Third, there might be the fear that the group walks too fast, or that they might not be fit enough and that they won’t keep up.
• And of course, there may be other personal reasons why this might be uncomfortable.

All these fears are valid. But don’t forget: “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” (John Assaraf). Take the first step and you will be welcomed and supported.

Starting this group has given us lessons to remember. Change starts with a clear vision and a decision to act. But unfortunately, we often don’t visualise the tricky bits on the way to the desired change — the things that make you want to give up and not believe in it anymore. But this is where persistence and having the courage to take that first step is vital. Ask yourself: why do I want that change and why is it important to me? And once you have taken that step, remind yourself of why you can keep going (including the not-so-fun parts) and that you persist until you reach your goal.

We would like to have groups like this all over the world. Groups that support each other’s vision of a better life. Groups that give direction and belonging. Groups that inspire and uplift.

Don’t you think all of us would benefit from joining a local “Walk & Talk” group?

If you feel inspired to start your own “Walk & Talk” in your local community, reach out to us at hello@myhealthscript.com, and we will provide you with everything you need to know to get started (including posts you can copy and paste into your local community pages).

Become part of the MHS team (together, we achieve more) and help improve your and your community’s health and well-being.

Originally published at https://www.myhealthscript.com on April 13, 2022.