Walking is an easy way to get exercise, and walking each day has a variety of health benefits beyond weight loss. According to the American Council on Exercise, walking regularly can lower your chances of developing high blood pressure, diabetes or breast cancer, and a walk a day can even lower your chances of dying prematurely. Make walking enjoyable to motivate you to do it each day.
Change the Scenery
Walking circles around your neighborhood will become boring within days, but you don't have to live in a scenic area to enjoy your walks. Changing your route each day will make exercise seem like an adventure, even in you live in a small town. Walk in a different direction each day, or explore a different neighborhood each day. Once you're dressed for your workout, get in the car and head for an unfamiliar part of town for your walk.
Listen Up
Since walking is generally not too physically taxing, you can become bored quickly. Varying what you listen to is an easy way to make each walk different. Download a variety of music and podcasts to your MP3 device, or borrow audio books from your local library. Although you may want to learn about history and science, your daily walk may not be the best time for this. Borrow audio performances of your favorite stand-up comedians or comedy books. Laughing through your walks will make them more tolerable.
Form a Group
Walking with friends will make your exercise time instantly more fun, but spending an hour a day walking with the same person might get boring eventually. Start a walking group that includes several friends and neighbors so you can chat with different people each day. Schedule regular walks and arrange a meeting place and time. Anyone who's available can show up and walk together as a group. A walking group can also provide you with motivation on the days you don't feel like exercising, since you won't want to miss out on the fun.
Take Photos
Turning your walk into an adventure means you can discover different things each day, even if you follow the same route. Take a camera with you and pretend you're a nature photographer or explorer. Take pictures of leaves, trees, animals and clouds that catch your eye. To make the hunt into a game, find pictures online of types of trees, flowers and birds that are found in your area. Make it a challenge to find and photograph every item on your list.
Member Comments