You can build your walking habit by walking together. This is a great way to stay motivated to keep walking. I know of couples who wouldn't let each other "get ahead" of them in the number of volkssport walks they completed.
Walk with your children and your grandchildren. Special hours spent alone with one parent and one child can make lasting bonds and memories, especially for children who always had to share their parents with other siblings. A long walk is a perfect way to spend quality time together, not distracted by meaningless "entertainment."
I have made many new friends on the trail as I start a 10K walking event and find myself walking with some new and interesting person, or renewing relationships with old friends.
After college, I had a hard time finding a new set of friends, as women my own age and in my church were preoccupied with dating and starting or raising families. When I took up walking, I found an instant community. My walking friends are of every age -- younger, older, married, single, partnered, widowed. We have in common the joy of walking and a willingness to go places and see what is there.
