You know me. I love to talk, and if I'm put on a bench with strangers, I will more than likely talk to them. One day I was at the Y and Kathy and I were outside after our spin class catching up on the latest in each of our lives. The summer was over, and we were trying to figure out a workout schedule for the fall where we could take some classes together. She had to go back into the Y for something, which gave me an opportunity to talk to some of the people from the walking group.
The Y has several walking groups, none of which I have ever joined. They sure look like they're having a good time, so I may give it a try. In any event, one of the male walkers was sitting with me, and we got to talking. He had just come back from a Baltic Cruise and so had I, so we started talking about our trips. He mentioned that he has a travel group (walking friends from the Y)that he had gone on the Baltic Cruise with, and then he proceeded to tell me the following story that warmed my heart.
Several years ago his travel group had been on a trip together and one man in particular, could not keep up. He would wait in the bus, have to sit down frequently when walking around, and could not walk for more than a few minutes without rest. The group didn't know what to do, as they loved this man who could not keep up. So here's what they did. The two other men in the travel group called him up and told him that they were going to come to his house every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and walk with him. They were going to get him fit, so he would be ready for the next travel adventure. They started meeting three times a week, and in a few months, not only was he in good shape and could walk 3.2 miles in one hour, but he liked it. Now the three men continue their walking together and love it. I almost forgot to mention that the man lost 30 pounds in the first year they walked together.
What a wonderful gift these two men gave their friend. To give of their time to walk with him and get him ready so he could continue traveling with them, was a testament to their friendship. I was so touched by their generosity toward their friend, it put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
This same man told me a story about another friend of his, very overweight and diabetic, just a time bomb waiting to explode. His children bought him as a gift a membership in a health club and a private trainer. On his first visit to the gym the trainer put him on the treadmill to get a starting point for his fitness. He could only walk 1 minute without resting. He was so distressed by this that he never came back. In contrast, I have another friend who wanted to get in shape for a trip, so started training with a private trainer. On day one he could only walk 3 minutes without rest on the treadmill. He stuck with it, and after three months, was walking 45 minutes without rest.
Walking with a friend is a great way to socialize and help each other. I think about the two men that helped their friend by walking with him and benefited as much as the man they were intending to help. They all built a stronger bond and they all improved their fitness. What a great way to help a friend.
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