[Pictured: Walk Club members Lora, Kendra, Lee, Vanessa and Stephanie. Just before their half-marathon and Vanessa’s full marathon.]
Join the club! If you’re looking for an opportunity to make some new friends in the office, a walk/run club is a great way to meet people around the cubicles—and get healthy in the process. If there’s already some kind of walk/run club established at your workplace, we strongly encourage you to get a great pair of walking shoes and join the club. They always welcome new members.
If your workplace doesn’t already have a walk/run club, it’s easy to start one; you could even say it’s a walk in the park—ha! Start by spreading the word that you plan to form a club and you’ll be surprised how many people will want to get involved. All you need is a few committed people to start.
Here at OnlineShoes.com, a few employees started their own walking club and it’s been a big success. It was originally formed in the winter when getting outside in the drizzly cold and grey of Seattle seemed too much to bear alone. The experience warmed their insides as much as their outsides and the group happily grew and has continued to meet even as the weather got better. Once a week, the walking club here uses their lunch hour to get out and explore the streets and parks in and around Seattle. It’s a great way to get out of the office, get a little exercise and get to know each other better.
If one of the goals of your walking club is improved health and fitness, it’s important to establish the right pace for your club. A slightly faster than normal pace is usually a good starting point, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation while you walk. One of the great things about establishing a club is the built-in motivation; you are more likely to actually get out and do it if there are others expecting you to be there.
A second consideration of your walk/run club should be your route. Start on a familiar route with a specific goal or turnaround point, and then change it up now and then for variety. Just make sure to keep everyone informed. If your club is anything like the one at OnlineShoes.com, you’ll find it quickly becomes part of your weekly routine and something you’ll wish you had done sooner.
Of course, when you go on your walks with the club, you’ve got to make sure you’re wearing the right shoes. Luckily, we have an enormous selection of walking shoes. So, whether you are looking for all-weather walking shoes to take you through the wetter seasons or athletic walking shoes so you can really pick up the pace, we have the perfect pair to get you and your walk club moving.
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I’m a small business owner with one employee, who also became my walking buddy last Spring. I started with New Balance 927s, because I’ve always enjoyed and received great comfort from New Balance over the years. However, my now 50+ body wasn’t getting as much cushioning or support as I needed, once I increased my mileage. So I bought a pair of MBT Sport 2 and once I got used to the different movement, I loved them. They definitely need to be broken in gradually though, because they do make all your muscles work differently and can cause soreness if you jump right in and wear them the whole distance. At least – that’s what happened to me!