How To Enjoy Walking A Mile Each Day!

It’s too hot! It’s too cold! It’s raining! I don’t have time! I don’t feel like it! Oh, the excuses go on and on! I myself have said them all. I can truly get into walking when all the stars align and the world is ever so perfect. The reality of the matter is that, though the right temperature, attitude, and energy level can line up perfectly, there is no such animal on most days. So, how do you encourage yourself to get up and do something relatively simple that brings so many health benefits? It took me a while to learn how to enjoy walking. Here are several tips to get up off the couch and to begin to enjoy walking a mile each day for incredible health benefits.

Extreme Temperature Hacks

I live in Florida so believe me I understand it being too hot to walk outside. I grew up in northern Ohio and understand it being too cold outside to walk as well. Both temperature extremes are rough to deal with and easy to use for excuses not to walk. The temperature hacks that I have learned has made it nearly impossible to use either to opt out of walking. Walking indoor is one answer. You can walk inside your home and if you have indoor stairs you are really set. A large mall is another fantastic option to clock in an easy mile daily when the temperatures aren’t ideal. Walking a few laps inside a Super Walmart, Target, or Sams Club can be enjoyable as you grab a few groceries. Walk in museums, the airport, or any other large office building for a climate controlled atmosphere. Total temperature hack! No excuses allowed!

• Walk Inside Your Home
• Walk Inside A Mall, Super Store, Museum, Airport
• Avoid Temperature Extremes By Time Shifting
• Treadmill If You Must

I have walked many indoor miles when browsing antique shops, IKEA, and even while at Disney, though we also trekked a good amount outside as well. A temperature hack for outside walking is to shift the time of day that you walk. Just before the sun goes down completely it is still light enough and generally cooler to get in a 20 minute mile. Sometimes the very early morning is the key to enjoy mild temperatures to kick out that day’s mile. Everybody’s weather is different varying from region to region so the ultimate temperature hack will depend on your surroundings. If all else fails, then treadmill if you must. Where there is a will, believe me, there is a way to rack up your daily mile enjoyably.

Bad Attitude Hacks

A bad attitude will never help you achieve anything but failure. Motivational Speaker, Zig Ziglar accurately stated, “Attitude determines Altitude.” While changing a bad attitude is not easy, it is possible. “With God, ALL things are possible,” Matthew 19:26 reminds us. God designed the ability to walk as our body’s number one source of transportation. A daily mile is so very doable, even more in fact. Most attitudes are overcome easily by associating walking with pleasant views, nature, fresh air, inspiration, time to think or pray. Expressing prayers of thankfulness while walking for 15 to 20 minutes each day carries over into other areas of life too! Often we focus largely on problems we are facing in life. These hacks will help reset bad attitudes and maybe even come up with a solution while burning off calories and stress. Happiness is a wonderful byproduct of a good attitude adjustment.

• Make Pleasant Associations With Walking
• Use The Time To Be Inspired
• Develop An Attitude Of Gratitude
• Make It A Time For Prayer And Contemplation

Take time to appreciate the fact that your body is even able to walk. Many cannot. It is an ability that we often take for granted like breathing or our heart beating until it doesn’t. You can overcome bad attitudes by intentionally replacing the thoughts behind them. Walking a mile a day will be something to look forward to so you can clear your head, pray, enjoy nature, be inspired and cultivate an attitude of gratitude .

Low Energy Level Hacks

Ugh! I am NOT feeling it this morning! How many of us have ever uttered that statement upon waking up in the morning? Whether a chronic illness, an injury, or staying up late the night before, the energy deficit is real. We push through low energy levels to go to work or drop the kids off at school or keep an appointment but if we had a choice we would stay home and veg out on the couch. Stand up and start slow when you have low energy. Every thing that is presently moving has begun from a point of being parked somewhere sitting at 0 mph. Here are my energy level hacks.

• Start Slowly
• Beautiful or Interesting Scenery
• The Companionship of a Friend
• Listen to Uplifting or Praise and Worship Music

Newton’s first Law of Motion identifies that an object at rest tends to stay at rest until another force acts upon it. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. My first low energy level hack is to start off slow. That may look like just getting up, getting dressed or showered on some days. Getting up and starting is what is important even if it is slow start. Secondly, on days like this my view as I walk is vital. My scenery needs to be interesting or beautiful. Thirdly, a heartfelt conversation with a friend is a most valuable energy hack. Lastly, music is another hack that energizes my gas tank. These act as the “other force” upon my being at rest lifting me up into being an object in motion. All these compile to turn your low energy blahs into an energized mile to enjoy.

In The End… Enjoy Your Walk!

Nike’s slogan, ” Just Do It!” was a big hit for a reason. At some point you just have to stop making excuses and just begin. Rewrite your story and replace excuses with can do’s. Discover the elements that will bring the object, YOU, into motion! Develop antidotes for all your temperature, attitude and low energy level excuses. Before long you will enjoy walking a mile, maybe even two or three, each day and reaping the healthy benefits of it. I have always felt better that I chose to do something healthy rather than regretting that I didn’t. Changing scenery leads to new discoveries. So get your tennis shoes on and enjoy yourself while walking a mile today. Be creative! You won’t regret it! I promise!

PS: If you have 15 minutes (and who doesn’t) and want a more challenging, faster paced aerobic mile a day walk try this free “Walk At Home” by Leslie Sansone, YouTube video just click here: https://youtu.be/njeZ29umqVE