If you want to keep motivated to walk every day, it’s important to keep your walking routine fresh and fun. Experts recommend getting in a half-hour walk each day to maximize the benefits of walking, so the best way to keep up your walks is to make sure they’re something you enjoy. Walking is a cardio exercise you can do for the rest of your life, so the key to being able to stick with it is to stay motivated.
If you’re looking for ways to make your walks more interesting and enjoyable, here are a few ideas. mixing up your route, listening to music or audio books, or walking with a friend are all great ways to keep things fresh. And, if you need a little extra motivation, consider setting yourself some walking goals to achieve.
Change Your Location
To make your walks more enjoyable, try varying your routes. If you always walk around the same few blocks near your home, you may start to get bored. Instead, try exploring new areas. This can help you see your neighborhood in a new light and make your walks more interesting.
- Switch it up
If you usually walk outdoors, change it up and walk indoors somewhere cool. Try out a museum, mall, or indoor track. If you have a treadmill at your disposal, that’s another option to consider. You could also walk on different surfaces, like a running track or even dirt and grass in the park.
- Find a new starting point
Try starting your walk from a new location. For example, drive to a nearby park or trail, or explore a different neighborhood. Walking on trails can be enjoyable and challenging, with rougher terrain and elevation changes. To mix things up, try walking your route in the reverse direction.
- Take advantage of your location
You can explore your city by choosing a new route to walk every day. You can also find a new boutique or cafe! If you’re in a rural area, you may need to drive to find a new walking location, but there are more scenic trails and natural areas to walk in. You should find the positive aspects of your current situation and take advantage of them.
- Get some local flavor
Do some research on the history of your city or town and take yourself on a self-guided walking tour. Chances are you won’t need a guide, you can just walk around and look for things you haven’t noticed before.
- Do some errands
If you live close to your bank, library, or grocery store, you can save time and money by walking to these places instead of driving. You can also use this opportunity to get some exercise by carrying a backpack with your groceries or books.
Change your Activities
Walking can be more fun if you add some activities to do during your walk. Just be careful if you’re walking near roads or anywhere with potential hazards. Try listening to music or taking pictures to make your walk more interesting.
- Check out a podcast or audiobook
Podcasts are a great way to stay motivated while walking. Find a podcast that matches your walking time and you’ll be more likely to finish your workout. Audiobooks work in a similar way and give you the chance to “read” the latest fiction while getting your steps in.
- Listen to music
To add some variety to your walking routine, try creating different playlists of music to listen to. You may find that you prefer to listen to a more high-energy playlist on some days, and a calmer playlist on other days. In addition, research has shown that listening to music while walking can actually help you walk farther and at a faster pace.
- Make a phone call
chatting with a friend or taking care of some calls on your to-do list.
- Dictate something
While you are walking, dictate an email, blog post, or creative writing project. This will help you to stay focused and motivated, and you will likely not be as concerned with the amount of time that has passed.
- Walking Apps
There are many apps available that cater to different aspects of walking. Some of these apps Motivate and inspire users to walk more, while others turn the act of walking into a game.
Whew – this one is a powerhouse! 99Walks is a great way to get rewarded for walking, find a walking community, and get walking workouts and podcasts.
99Walks is a community of people who sign up to walk a monthly goal. When they hit their goal, they earn a bracelet. The community also has access to audio programming.
There is a large variety of audio tracks to choose from, including House Walks, Walk & Talks, Chair Workouts, Inspirational Podcasts, Walking Meditations, and Stroller Walks.
Geocaching – AKA The World’s Largest Treasure Hunt
The app gives you clues about the cache’s location. Once you find it, you can open the cache, sign the logbook, and put the cache back where you found it for the next person. This app encourages people to get outdoors and explore the world around them. Geocaching is a real-life scavenger hunt where people use GPS to find hidden treasure boxes called caches. Once a cache is found, the person who found it can sign the logbook and then hide it again for someone else to find.
The text describes geocaching, a hobby in which people use GPS devices to find hidden containers, or “caches.” Caches can be as small as a pill box, and usually contain a logbook for finders to record their screen name and the date they found the cache. Sometimes people leave behind treasures in the caches, like action figures, compasses, or magnifying glasses. The author has done geocaching with their kids and found some of these treasures.
We have found geocaches in our own town and on vacations around the world. We even found one in Tuscany, Italy! You can probably find some geocaches near you no matter where you are in the world.
Goose Chase
If you’re into scavenger hunts but not so keen on finding caches, you should check out Goose Chase.
You can participate in pre-made photo scavenger hunts or create your own. In the past, we have participated with the Girl Scouts. Some photo scavenger hunts can be done without leaving your home, while others are more specific to a certain location, and still others can be general outdoor hunts.
- Walking Game Apps
GPS-based phone games are a great way to add steps to your daily routine. By turning walking into a game, you can stay active and have fun at the same time.
Many people think that video games are just for kids, but this is not the case. In fact, adults are often more active in gaming communities than children.
The games can be played anytime and don’t require waiting for a specific event or certain hours. The companies that run the games have in-person events occasionally. There are also dedicated fan Facebook groups and other ways to befriend other players online if you want to get involved in a community.
The next three games are all developed by the same company, Niantic. They all use GPS to map the real world, using real points of interest as destinations in the game.
If you live in a town or city, there is usually more to do than if you live in the middle of nowhere.
You might find something extra to do in the game while you are near the library, for example if you are out on your walk and you walk by a library.
The three walking-based Niantic Games are:
- Pokemon Go – You might have seen this one in the news a few years ago but it is still going strong. Get out and go, and collect pokemon on your walks.
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite – This is from the same company but it has a Harry Potter theme. As you walk around you see yourself on the map. You encounter characters from the book, cast spells, pick up potion ingredients and you can even battle wizards.
- Ingress – This is the original map-based game, in fact, the other two are based on this one.
There are also apps for other things like rowing, but these are the two that I wanted to focus on. Zombies Run and The Walk are two apps created by the same company that are based on stories and tracking steps. The Zombies Run app is focused on running and completing missions, while The Walk is focused on getting more steps into your day. There are also apps for other activities like rowing, but these are the two that I wanted to focus on.
Change Your Routine
If you’re finding that your daily walk has become a little boring, try making some small changes to mix things up. This will help you keep your motivation up and make your walk more enjoyable.
- Find a buddy
If you walk by yourself all the time, try out walking with a partner. In addition to having someone to chat with, you might be more motivated to stick with it if you have someone to walk with.
- Go solo
If you usually walk in a group, try taking some walks by yourself every now and then. You may find that you enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of walking alone. Additionally, you can use this time to take care of errands or explore new areas.
- Join a group
You can find a local walking group or club to join by searching online. This way, you can get some exercise while also meeting new people who share your interests. If you can’t find a walking group, you can still make yourself feel like part of the community by smiling at people as you walk, or by having a regular coffee shop or café that you visit.
- Change the time
If you normally walk in the morning, try walking at night. Or if you walk at night, try walking in the morning. You may see different sights depending on the time of day. This can help keep your routine fresh.
Hobbies and Jobs That Involve Walking
Find something that inspires you and use it as motivation to get moving. In addition to the activities listed above, like geocaching, there are many other fun pastimes you can take up to get your body moving. Browse these ideas and find one that appeals to you.
- Birdwatching – From a neighborhood walk to a forest preserve hike, finding new places to birdwatch will keep you moving.
- Frisbee golf – Also known as disc golf, this sport is very affordable and can be played on frisbee golf courses around the world.
- Rock and shell collecting – Finding the best places for hidden gems and shells usually involves taking a nice stroll.
- Kindness Rocks – Nope, painting the rocks doesn’t involve walking. But challenge yourself to walk to a good place to leave your work of art.
- Traveling – Some people see vacation as a chance to let loose and indulge but you can also plan them as opportunities to be active. Choose destinations that beg to be explored by foot. There is no better way to get a feel for a new place than to walk the streets and wander around.
Jobs that involve walking
There are a few ways that you can make money by walking, either as a full-time job or as a side hustle. You can be a dog walker, a delivery person, or even a fitness instructor who leads walking groups.
- Dog Walking – Whether it is your neighbors or dog owners near your office, it doesn’t take a lot of time for any dog lover to fit in a walk, and what a lovely way to get your steps in and spend time with a furry friend at the same time.
- Delivery – Whether it is for the postal service, food delivery, or local courier, delivery jobs can really boost your daily steps.
- Retail Floor – Working in a retail store could have you stuck behind a cash register, but if you work out on the retail floor, stocking shelves and helping customers you will really rack up the steps.
- Local or kids sports Referee – Up and down the court, back on forth up the field you go! Get out and about and get involved with sports and get in those steps.
- School Recess Aid – You don’t need to be a teacher to get in your steps while surrounded by the cutest smiles in the land. A lot of schools need responsible adults to oversee lunch and recess. It is fun and very active.
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