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Walking around your neighborhood may be boring, but you don’t have to be a hiker to enjoy the outdoors.
Once you realize how great it feels to get outside and walk, you’ll want to make fitness walking a regular part of your routine. Since it can be difficult to find an interesting route, we’ve come up with a few suggestions-and hopefully they’ll inspire you to develop your own favorite fitness walks.
- Check out the parks, nature preserves and open spaces in your area. While exploring these areas may mean a longer walk than the one around the neighborhood, the payoff is that you might see some animals or plants that are native only to this region! Plus, there’s nothing better than knowing that you’re getting benefits from being amongst Mother Nature!
- Try a new route every week/month. Have some fun with this! Maybe try walking on dirt trails instead of sidewalks? If you have time on your hands, add extra miles by taking an unexpected path through a neighborhood or forest. Always be prepared for any change in conditions; bring water and don’t be afraid to ask someone if you get lost.
- Add to your collection of walking shoes until each pair has at least 100 miles on them before you retire them (no matter what shoe experts say). It’s cheaper than therapy for foot problems later in life but not as comfortable!
- Listen to meditations or podcasts when walking on treadmills at the gym or while doing lighter workouts like yoga/pilates/calisthenics. There are tons of free guided podcasts like Headspace and Calm if meditation isn’t necessarily your cup of tea. These will help keep distractions away while developing focus-a core component of success in implementing lifestyle changes such as these into daily routines
Find a trail that goes through a more built-up area and perhaps along a river or lake.
A few things to note:
- Park in a safe location. You don’t want to leave valuables exposed in your car, especially if you’re doing an activity that takes more than half an hour.
- If you’re starting from a trailhead, make sure it’s the right kind of trail for walking fitness. It should be marked on the map with a dashed line and have a descriptive name like “Fitness Trail” or “Nature Trail.” And of course, it should loop back around to where you started.
- If possible, look for trails that are wide and flat (or at least not too hilly), well-maintained, and either paved or made from crushed gravel. They shouldn’t be directly on roads where cars drive by unless they have their own footpaths separated from traffic by curbs or guardrails.
Find one that goes through natural areas like forests and parks but also part of the way through developed areas like towns or suburbs so you can enjoy both landscapes. Trails along rivers or lakes offer beautiful views while also providing convenient rest stops if anyone gets tired and wants to sit down halfway through your walk.
Try walking in a city you’ve never visited before.
First-time travelers can easily get lost in a new city, especially if they’re walking through a busy downtown. For instance, imagine you’re wandering around the waterfront of your new city’s downtown and suddenly you feel completely lost. You go to look for a map in case you need directions on how to get back but then realize that it isn’t even on the same side of town as where you’re currently standing.
To help ease your anxiety about getting lost, bring along a printed map or GPS device and make sure everyone knows where they are at all times. Try not to panic when something doesn’t go according to plan, because even if you do get lost, there are many places for walkers to visit in your new city that are worth seeing and exploring. Take advantage of these natural areas by taking the time to stop by parks and other spaces near water features or trails and take some deep breaths (even though we know breathing is probably the last thing on your mind). Walking is an activity that takes place outdoors during daylight hours so make sure you’re able to see what’s going on around you while being safe inside your head while doing it!
Head out with friends or family.
To keep your walking routine from turning into a chore, try going for walks with a friend or two. Not only will this help the time fly by, but it can also help you push yourself harder and increase your fitness level faster.
- Your walk will feel more like a social activity than exercise.
- When you’re chatting with friends or family members, you may find that you’re able to push yourself to go further than when you’re alone. You’ll also be less likely to skip out on your walks altogether because there’s an obligation involved.
Take the scenic route home from work or school.
For many people, there’s no better way to end the day than by walking from the office or school to a nearby bus stop. However, it’s easy to get into a routine and stick with the same route day after day, even if it means taking a less scenic route. This is an especially good time of year for those who walk home—with more leaves on trees, you’ll be able to enjoy that extra scenery as you stroll along. And if you’re lucky enough to be within commuting distance of your workplace, consider the benefits of cycling instead: The days are getting longer! You can burn calories while saving money on gas! It’ll make you feel alive again!
If you live in or around a city or town and have access to public transportation (say, commuter rail), think about what other methods of transportation would work best for your commute. There are plenty of opportunities for cyclists—if you’re close enough to train stops that have bike racks (usually at major stations), ditch your car in favor of riding here and there instead. For example: do you need to go back out for dinner? Do some shopping? If so, hop off at one of these stops and keep going by bike. In winter months when snow covers most roads and sidewalks in many places this is helpful as well—instead of walking outside with wet shoes where ice may form underfoot (increasing risk of falls) take an in-between step! Use public transit then ride your bike home or somewhere else nearby like a store that was too far away before but now isn’t because you rode your bike there!
Go for a walk on your lunch break.
After lunch, packing your things, and getting to the office, you realize that your plan for a quick walk did not work out exactly as you had hoped. You attempt to turn around and head back home, but it’s already midday and the sun is at its highest point overhead. You have no choice but to push through and hope that you don’t get lost or fall prey to rogue bears.
After 20 minutes of walking with a heavy heart in the waning sunlight, you decide that maybe your lunchtime walk was a bad idea after all. At least you know where the city limits are now!
Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health.
Having a routine and taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.
While neither our bodies nor minds are a million-dollar investment, they can both be damaged in more ways than we realize. It’s important to take care of both well, so it doesn’t become too hard for you to do either one of these things without good reason. To help you get started on this journey, here’s an overview of some signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health:
- Talking about or having thoughts about harming themselves or others
- Having poor hygiene habits
- Having difficulty sleeping or sleeping way too much (over 10 hours)
- Poor diet (pizza for dinner every night for weeks) or eating unhealthy foods often/too much
- Lacking motivation to do things they normally enjoy/schedule tasks/exercise regularly.
