Today I’m talking about my #1 favorite form of exercise that I recommend to almost everyone: walking. Read on about the benefits, how to start a walking routine, why it’s important to walk every day, and how to change your routine.
Check out these tips to get started with a walking routine or make small changes that can lead to better fitness, health and wellness.
Hello! How is the day treating you? I’m taking an F45 class with a friend, then I have back-to-back client calls and I’m making tacos for dinner tonight. YUM! I hope you have a wonderful day!
For today’s post, Let’s talk about what I truly believe is the *best* form of exercise. Are there other cool features? YES. But if everyone (who doesn’t have physical limitations or medical conditions that contraindications to it) could walk, I think it would have such a positive impact on physical and mental health. Walking is one of my non-negotiable activities every day. Even if it’s a short 10-15 minute walk around the block, I feel more focused, energized and sleep better when I walk everyday. Maisey also loves daily walks and is less destructive when she’s had some energy. 😉
In today’s post, I thought I’d share some ideas on how to start a walking routine, some tips, health benefits of walking, and ideas for changing up your walking routine if it’s already a regular part of life you (YAY). I’d love to hear your thoughts on that too!
How to start or change your walking routine
Benefits of walking:
Meditative benefits
My therapist told me that walking can have similar benefits for the brain as meditation. It’s the repetitive motion of your feet on the pavement that calms the body’s sympathetic system (the “flight or fight” response) and can help with anxiety, depression and mood. (Of course, if you’re suffering from anxiety or depression, get the help you need. Walking can be a great adjunct to traditional therapy, but it’s not a substitute.)
Cardiovascular Benefits
Walking for 30 minutes every day can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes.
It is extremely functional
I want to be able to walk as much as possible, and the best way to do that is to walk often and train the muscles that support walking. When it comes to functional daily movements, walking is high on the list, and if you don’t use this skill as you get older, you may lose it as muscles atrophy and bone density decreases.
Increased calorie burning and reduced body fat
Walking can be used to increase overall calorie burn and reduce body fat. While the actual amount varies from person to person, walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes can help you burn about 150 more calories per day.
Sunlight benefits from walking outdoors
This is a great way to get vitamin D, fresh air and sunlight, which can affect our circadian rhythm. When you are exposed to sunlight during the day, can help improve the quality of sleep at night.
Walking can also help with blood sugar response and insulin sensitivity
One of my favorite *hacks* for a high sugar meal is to go for a short walk afterwards reduce the blood glucose response.
Tips for starting a walking routine:
Multitask
Take calls or watch your favorite shows while on a ride. I take all my Beautycounter calls while walking around the neighborhood and it’s one of my favorite ways to multitask.
Take short walking breaks during your work
Sometimes the hardest part of creating a walking routine is finding the time to do it. Walking breaks during the day, even if it’s a short walk around a yard or to another building and back, is a great way to get in at least 30 minutes of walking each day.
Build time and tension slowly
Don’t feel like you have to start with a 1 hour walk every day. Start with 10 minutes and after you can do it consistently for a few weeks, try 15 minutes.
A few things to consider when walking:
Make sure you are in a safe location
If you live in an area where it is not safe to walk outside alone, find a safe place, such as a gym, a neighborhood of friends, or a walking path in a park or on a trail.
Tell someone where you’re going and when
Especially if you’re going to a new location, make sure someone you know knows where you’ll be and what time you’ll finish. Keep your mobile phone and ID with you. To make it easier, you can use the location sharing feature on your phone so a friend, co-worker or family member knows where to find you in an emergency.
Make sure you have supportive and comfortable walking shoes
Shoes make a huge difference! Wear shoes that offer the support you need, and if nothing else, head to a local running store to find shoes that work for your foot, pronation, stride, etc.
Use your GUT when you walk
It’s really easy to think of walking as lifting from the hip flexor and the leg drops from here. Instead, focus on using your glutes, almost like you’re ice skating. Push off with each step, using the strength of your glutes to maintain good form. Also be aware of your pelvic position while walking. If your basin was a bucket, you would want to prevent the bucket from constantly pouring water forward or backward. try to keep it relatively stable. For more walking tips, check out this podcast episode!
How long should I walk?
It depends. It depends on what your daily life is like. If you have a sedentary job/life then you may benefit more from walking than someone who is already on their feet all day. Think about your lifestyle and what makes sense for your work, time you can spend walking and activity levels. I think a great goal is to aim for 30 minutes a day in addition to daily exercise and daily activity. If you need help setting heart disease guidelines, check out this post!
How to change your walking routine:
Change your route
Explore a new trail or hiking trail. This is one of my favorite ways to explore Tucson and new places when we travel! Take a friend with you and explore somewhere new. Bonus: look for a spot with varying levels of gradient.
Wear a heavy vest
This can increase calorie burn as you carry more mass and work harder. If you’re wearing a heavy vest or backpack, make sure it’s not too heavy and doesn’t distort your posture and movement patterns (such as making you slouch and disable your trunk while walking).
Think Nordic walking
Nordic walking is a variation of walking that engages the whole body by adding Nordic poles. This effective cardio and full-body workout can help you burn more calories than regular walking.
Add bursts of speed
Try increasing your speed on a brisk walk or run for a few challenging intervals during your walking workout. One of my favorite methods: 2 minutes easy pace, 1 minute fast pace or jogging.
Add strength circuits or bodyweight exercises
You can incorporate strength training into your walking workout. Try it on a track: 1 round, 20 squats, 1 round 20 walking lunges, 1 round, 20 tricep dips, 1 round, 20 push-ups, 1 round, 45 second plank.
Ask a friend to join you
This is one of my favorite ways to walk. Time flies when you’re walking with a friend and it’s a nice twist on social activities.
Add stairs to the rotation
Stair climbing is a great way to train different muscles in your legs and change up your routine.
Try an audio-based walking workout
Sound-based walking workouts can be great motivators. Peloton has some amazing ones!
Are you a fan of walking? Do you have a number of steps you aim to take each day?
Remember that if you don’t consistently get 10k steps a day, that’s okay! Try to gradually increase your step count over time. For example, if you’re only hitting around 3,000, aim for 4,000 for a few weeks and build from there.
xo
Gina
