About two months ago, I started walkin’ and haven’t stopped since. Generally, I try to head out and actively walk 4-5 times per week and as a group 2-3 of those times. Our Walking Club has gone around the south suburbs, but one of my favorite stops is the local community college. With a small pond, fountains, and the changing colors of the trees, it is GORGEOUS, a simple path and twice around ensures that you’ve almost walked a 5k before you’ve even really started your day.
Getting out and committing to any exercise plan can be stressful and seem overwhelming, but here are a few things that have kept me on the right walking path the past two months:
- Walk with friends – there’s no better way to get out and make the “chore” seem that much easier than when you walk the trails and paths with someone else. Talking helps the time to pass quickly and you easily feel that comfortability in pushing yourself just a little bit more to walk farther.
- Tracking – I had a FitBit, but lost it and never really worked on charging it. In the past month, I have added it to my daily repertoire and now I see marked progress each day as I try to get my steps. I generally try to reach my 10,000 steps before noon, if not sooner, and then anything over that becomes BONUS – especially when I still have so much of my day left!
- Weather Whenever – Even with colder temps, rain, and more, I’ve tried to find different spaces to still get my longer walks in. Our local mall is one mile around if I do every single little alcove, so it’s great for those days when the outdoors just isn’t an option.
- Mix It Up – What’s nice about our club is that we’ve gone to a variety of places with a variety of distances. Doing so means that we can try new things and always mix up our point of view. We sometimes head back to the same stomping grounds, but we also like to try new spaces and try new things as well – it helps to keep things interesting.
- Make it a family affair – When I didn’t get my walking in earlier in the day yesterday, I added in different activities to keep me moving and brought my family along. Snagging taffy apples after school? Grab the wagon and walk the round trip. After dinner excitement? We went out and walked for Pokemon for a few miles. Time flies when you’re having fun and getting active TOGETHER.
What are your favorite tips and tricks for getting active and staying committed to an exercise schedule?
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