Ways To Make Walking Fun And Consistent In Your Routine
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I’m not a consistent walker, but walking was a part of my routine until a year ago, before I moved cities. It started as a way to bring movement into my sedentary life, but keeping up with it every day was a task.
The benefits of walking were endless. Plus, it was accessible, easy, and required no training. Still, I was too lazy to show up regularly.
But I pushed myself because I realized I was sleeping better, my skin felt healthier, and as a bonus, I was watching what I consumed, especially those desserts. Plus after a walk, my mind felt more active and my mood, warmer.
If you are struggling to commit to making walking a consistent part of your life, we have pulled together tips that will add some fun to your walking routine.
What Are The Benefits Of Walking Regularly?
Dr. Milica McDowell, Doctor of PT, Certified Exercise Physiologist, VP of Operations at Gait happens told Her Agenda there are a number of ways that walking benefits your overall health.
“Walking can improve your body weight, metabolism, heart health, and reduce your blood pressure,” she said. “Plus, it’s known to build better bone health, muscle tone and endurance. It can also help with hormone regulation during your menstrual cycle.”
In terms of mental health, the benefits of walking are numerous: reducing stress, improving mood, reducing cognitive fog and improving sleep, Milica said. Walking can be prescribed for cases of mild to moderate depression and is often used to help those struggling with anxiety.
To experience the benefits of walking, it’s crucial to stick to it and walk every day. Here’s how to do that.
Choose Your Views
When I started, I would walk in a park. A week later, it got boring, so I went hiking on a hill. After a 40-minute hike, I spotted a humongous quarry. It was beautiful. I started hiking there just to sit by the quarry and watch the sun set. The best part was the hill had different paths that led to different views. And I’d choose one every day based on my mood.
Walking, as an activity, may seem mundane, but you can always choose new views to get to.
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With time, I explored other hills, and joined a local trekking group that went to short treks around my city.
“Walking can be a team effort as well,” Milica said. “Walking in groups has been shown to increase adherence to walking programs and foster senses of community and belonging.”
Invest In The Attire And Gear
A great workout attire enhances your walks by catering to your body needs. If you tend to sweat, go for a sweat-proof tights, or if you don’t like tight pants, go for joggers.
Go outfit shopping and choose colors that you’d love to wear and that channel your personality. Make sure you love your walking attire because it can give you the mood boost you need on a lazy day. Also, did you know that wearing red can make you feel dominant and perform better?
Remember, a pair of neon shoes, a classy racer back tee, or a sexy sports bra will only uplift your energy!
Join The Apps
The benefits of walking aren’t just mental or physical: some apps pay you to walk, too.
Sweatcoin and Evidation allow you to collect your rewards/points and buy products or cash them out. Another interesting app is StepBet, which allows you to bet on yourself (with real money) based on the number of steps you take. Win or lose — it’s up to you.
If you love testing yourself, you can use apps like MapMyWalk (with MapMyFitness) and HealthyWage to set challenges for yourself and earn prizes when you complete them.
Mix It Up
For a walking routine to be fun, you need to add variety to it, especially if you have access to the same route.
Joy Puleo, an A.C.S.M certified trainer and the Director of Education at Balanced Body, told Her Agenda it switch up your walking routine to add variety.
“Vary your speed by creating intervals where you walk at a relaxed pace followed by a brisk pace,” Joy said. “Adding inclines and declines (like staircases) can increase the challenge and change up the routine.”
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Adding squats, lunges, and other fitness-based calisthenics are a great way to mix up your walking routine. For every 15 minutes of walking, stop, do a set of 10-15 squats or lunges, then continue. It can develop strength while you also increase your cardio capacity, Joy advised.
Take ‘Hot Girl’ Walks
The hashtag #hotgirlwalk got 641 million views on TikTok in 2021. So what is it? Mia Lind, a TikTok personality, came up with this idea — walk four-mile outdoor walk while thinking about your goals, how you are going to achieve them, everything you are grateful for, and of course how hot you are.
The aim of this was fitness, confidence and self-love. And you can tune it as per your needs. Feel free to go beyond the four miles and even listen to affirmations or a podcast that elevates your mindset.
It can fuel your body and mind for the day. As Milica said: “We all need a hot girl moment.”