Walking is one of the best ways to exercise. It is free, you can do it anywhere, and it is something that you can do with your friends and family, or on your own. Most of us could benefit from getting more walking into our daily lives, but when you are a busy person, it can often feel like going out for a walk is not what you really want to do with your free time. With TV, games, books and the internet vying for our attention, getting out in the fresh air for a walk may not feel all that fun at the best of times, and this is even more true when the weather isn’t perfect. Some say the best incentive to walk more is to get a dog but of course that’s not always possible for everyone.
So, how can you motivate yourself to see walking as an appealing use of your free time? Well, there are a few ways, three of which we will look at here:
Make a Game of it
There is a lot to be said for gamification. Making something you do in the real world measurable and getting achievement notifications and virtual rewards for meeting your goals can be strangely addictive, which is why a lot of people use apps and websites that add gamification to do things like learn a new language, or improve their math skills.
Gamifying how much you walk is not a new concept, and the pedometer trend of about ten years ago was really the first sign of it. Now you can get great fitness trackers that will do more than just monitor your steps and reward you when you hit a daily goal, however – smart fitness trackers like the latest Fitbits will also monitor your heart rate, allowing you to make sure you are walking with enough intensity for it to make a good workout, and can also give you other great features like monitoring your sleep! Apps such as Pokemon Go and Geoaching can encourage you to walk more too.
Get Some Sneakers
If you have some walking shoes you really love, then you’ll be happy to have any excuse to put them on, especially if you like to walk around somewhere where people will see you! Some of the latest designer sneakers can give you that stylish incentive to spend more time outdoors walking, so why not check out the fantastic range at luxury retailer SSENSE? SSENSE carry all of the latest collections in fashion from high end designers, so you can find Givenchy sneakers, as well as stunning sneakers from brands like Balenciaga and Gucci.
Listening Time
A third way to make walking more fun is to start listening to an audiobook or podcast you are really interested in while you walk. If you only allow yourself to keep listening when you’re moving, then you’ll find yourself really looking forward to getting out for a stroll so you can find out what happens next in the story or hear more of your favourite podcast. This is also a good trick to alleviate boredom while running long distances, if you ever feel like moving on from walking to running for exercise!
Why not try one of these ideas and see if you can’t start getting excited about going for a walk every day?
Hey Evans, thanks – great post.
I recently struggled to lose weight after having a baby, so walking especially outdoors will help! I may share this on FB
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Thanks – never really took to the sneakers look – never say never !!