Runners and Walkers Should Feel Gratitude for Their Bodies

Runners and walkers: Do you want to get more joy from your runs? Gratitude is the key. And there are many reasons to feel gratitude during your workouts. In particular, there are many parts of your body for which to feel gratitude. Here are several of those parts of your body along with examples of reasons to feel gratitude for them.

You can feel gratitude while running or walking for:

• the abdominal muscles that protect your back from injury;
• the Achilles tendons that connect your legs to your feet;
• the ankles that flex as you work out;
• the arms that pump in rhythm with your legs;
• the back that keeps you upright;
• the bladder that collects urine prior to disposal by urination;
• the brain that controls your body;
• the calves that move your lower legs;
• the ears that catch the sounds of the people watching a race or of birds in a neighborhood;
• the eyes that soak up all the colors before you;
• the feet that push you forward;
• the hamstrings that play a dominant role in the movement of each leg while working out;
• the hands that wipe the sweat from your brow and that raise the hydration bottle to your lips;
• the hips that aim you in a forward direction;
• the intestinal system that processes what you eat;
• the kidneys that filter your blood;
• the knees that let your upper and lower legs work together;
• the liver that produces biochemicals necessary for digestion;
• the lungs that sustain your intake of oxygen and your release of carbon dioxide;
• the mouth that consumes the food and drink that you need to sustain your workout;
• the neck that supports your head;
• the nose that detects the aroma of intoxicating flowers;
• the quads that play a dominant role in the support phase of the movement of each leg while working out;
• the shoulders that let your arms pump in rhythm to your legs;
• the skin that holds your body together;
• the skull that protects your brain;
• the spine that supports your torso and nervous system;
• the stomach that begins the second phase of digestion; and,
• the sweat glands that lower the temperature of your body core.

You can activate these feelings of gratitude during any kind of workout — solo or group, training or race, day or night. Read and try to memorize this list before each run or walk, and recall as many of the things and reasons listed, so that you can repeatedly prove to yourself that gratitude puts more joy into your workouts!