Staying fit is beneficial for many different reasons, and no matter what your goals are, one of the best ways to start your fitness journey is by walking. However, it may be more difficult than it sounds.
A great example of overcoming these difficulties happened on the r/happy subreddit some time ago when one guy decided to start going on daily walks and document his progress online. What he did not expect was that his proactiveness and seemingly endless positivity would soon inspire many others to, almost literally, follow in his footsteps. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: Reddit
Staying fit is undeniably beneficial, but starting this journey of fitness can be a lot more challenging than it first appears
Image credits: u/Syk11k
An overweight guy went on his first walk in over a year and decided to make a post about it online with nothing more than a title and a pic of his thumbs-up
"I'm 16, over 300lbs, and just went on my first walk in over a year!" This was the title of the very first post that marked the beginning of Redditor's u/Syk11k fitness journey. Despite having no text and only being accompanied by a picture of his now iconic thumbs-up, the post went viral, gaining over 124,000 views and nearly 5,000 comments, most of which were very positive and encouraging.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Seeing the unexpected and massive amount of attention his post generated, the guy decided to share some of his thoughts, together with another picture, which he posted the next day.
u/Syk11k was very appreciative of all the support that he received and explained that he wanted to make it a daily thing so he could hold himself accountable in a public space. His other goal was to inspire at least one other person to do the same.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
With the massive amount of attention that his post got, the guy got even more motivated and started making daily posts, adding longer messages
Little did he know that the number of people inspired would grow quite a bit. In the following days, more and more people started making similar posts of their own, some mentioning u/Syk11k by name and others simply giving him a nod by posting a picture of their own thumbs-up. It all evolved into an interesting Reddit fitness revolution.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
While he first said that he wanted to inspire at least one person to do the same, he ended up starting something akin to a walking revolution online as more and more people joined in
Of course, with the internet being what it is, not all the replies were positive. During the first three days, there were enough people out there trying to blame the guy for karma farming or bring him down in other ways, so he decided to address these issues in his next post. However, handling it calmly with his positivity intact and the newly gained support behind him, u/Syk11k wasn't going to let anyone push him off his track.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
On day 5, our story's protagonist shared a slightly different photo, this time including a few cows together with his thumbs-up and sharing how he was given permission to walk around the properties on the hill, where the same cows followed him most of the way. Additionally, he decided to switch to weekly updates so as not to clog the subreddit and leave more of the internet's attention to the other posters.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
The guy also took time to talk to his supporters and advocate for taking care of not only physical but also mental health
The following updates were no longer on the r/happy subreddit as u/Syk11k, due to a growing number of followers, started making posts on his own account. The posts of days 6 and 7 were a little less eventful as u/Syk11k was feeling under the weather at first and didn't have that much to report a little after that. However, he did take the opportunity to address the fact that even though he started his series by talking about walking every day, this shouldn't be considered an absolute, and taking occasional breaks is just as important.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: Kayley (not the actual photo)
Over time, the guy started posting on his own account and reduced the number of posts before putting a pause on the series and disappearing for 3 months
The next time we heard from the man, he didn't have a thumbs-up picture to share with us. Instead, he decided that he'd like to interact more with his supporters and engage in conversations about how they were doing in life, regardless of whether it was fitness-related or not.
Following that, he posted announcing that he was putting a pause on the series as he was going on vacation and had a lot of other things going on. The guy assured everyone that he was not abandoning them and expressed his appreciation before going radio silent for around 3 months.
Image credits: u/Syk11k
Image credits: u/Syk11k
The next and last time we heard from u/Syk11k regarding his fitness journey was roughly nine months ago. In that post, he talked about how mental struggles and a lack of effort made him slack on his exercises, but he was not giving up.
Regardless, he still managed to lose 25 lbs just by eating healthier. What he wanted to talk about this time was that mental health is just as important as physical health, and balancing both should be an optimal goal. The guy also talked about his fitness aims and what he hopes to achieve before adding that he will be updating even less now and leaving us with a message of positivity, saying that no matter what your goals are, they're achievable.
Image credits: Saroj Gajurel (not the actual photo)
It is unclear where u/Syk11k went, how his journey is going, or whether he plans to update us again. After all, life sometimes tends to take us on the most unexpected paths, and we can't always plan ahead, regardless of how we think things will be or what we promise to others or ourselves.
It's quite likely that at least some of the people who followed this guy's example when he first started out quit and are no longer pursuing this fitness goal. It is entirely possible that u/Syk11k met some obstacles and has stopped taking daily walks. And you know what? It's totally fine. These things happen.
Whether you're looking for motivation to start, have already started and happened to fall off your fitness journey track, or are simply curious, Psychologist Hanan Parvez is here to share some of his expertise with us that might just give you what you're looking for.
"When you're taking a walk, you're not focused hard and long on anything in your environment," began the expert when Bored Panda asked him about the psychological benefits of walking.
He explained that while more physically demanding activities are stressful and release cortisol, letting your mind wander like this boosts your thinking, helping you reveal problems you've been trying to avoid and bring out forgotten ideas that can then be applied in solving those issues. "This is why people travel or take a walk when they're facing stressful life events. Walking is a great way to relax and take your mind off things."
When he came back, he explained that he had encountered a few obstacles, but his positivity was just as high, and he promised to keep going and keep updating in no set intervals
Image credits: Chethan Prabhu (not the actual photo)
As to why we often feel inspired to do something like this after seeing someone else, like u/Syk11k, do it online, Hanan explained that it's all due to us being able to relate to them. "They're not some hot-shot celebrity with their head in the clouds. They're your friend, relative, and neighbor. If they can do it, you can, too. Your belief in yourself gets reinforced."
The psychologist added that humans are naturally programmed to seek belonging, and it is most often achieved by doing what others do. "It makes us feel included."
But whether it's walking or anything else, it may often be difficult to have that practice stick after the initial phase of excitement fades away. For that, Hanan strongly recommended tracking your habits. "Review them periodically to identify your weakest points and attack them first. Understand when, why, and how you do them. Don't stop tracking even if you miss a couple of days," said the expert, explaining that whatever gets measured can also be improved.
If you ever struggle to find the motivation to start or keep walking, here are a few more things you could do, according to Tammi Kaeberlein of Wander Healthy:
- Identify what motivates you to walk and use it to give yourself a boost every time you need it.
- Set your daily goal for how much you want to walk and, if possible, try to steadily increase it as you progress.
- Make a schedule with designated times for your walking, and be serious about following it, treating it as if it's non-negotiable.
- Prepare the gear you'll need for your next walk in advance so you don't have to take any additional steps before heading out.
- Find a walking partner or a walking group to keep pushing each other forward, kind of like what happened in our story.
- Opt to walk to your destination whenever possible, using other modes of transportation only when it's not.
- Try to combine walking with socializing so you can exercise and catch up with your friends at the same time.
- Track your progress with your smartphone or any other way to have a visual representation of how far you’ve come.
Image credits: Min An (not the actual photo)
In the end, whatever the cause of the lack of these walking-related thumbs-up pictures lately, it's incredibly important not to be afraid or ashamed of failure. Remember that failing and falling on your way to your goals is one of the most human things. Not a single one of us is ever born perfect, and it is only through trial and error that we learn and improve.
It's also worth remembering that saying no to your vices that form habits deep in your mind can be a great challenge, and sometimes, things may get so overwhelming or difficult that plans are inevitably put on hold. However, it is the efforts we put into overcoming these roadblocks that matter, no matter how big or small they may be. So, whatever life throws at you, try your best not to accept defeat and move forward, even if the steps are a lot smaller than you'd like them to be. And if it ever seems too difficult to do it on your own, remember that doing it together is a fountain of motivation like no other, and this story is proof of that.
What did you think about this story? Did learning about it give you any motivation to do something you've been putting off? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Most of the commenters were very supportive and shared the kindest words with the poster while also giving advice and letting him know how much he inspired them
