Tuesday, May 1, 2018

5 ways to get good walking exercises

Spring is finally here (weather wise) and with the warm weather, there are no excuses to get into the walking or jogging routine.   Here are 5 ways you can incorporate your walks or runs into your daily routines:

1.  Shopping Malls:  Hanging around the Old Navy store while the Mrs. is shopping?  Tell her that you are going for a walk around the mall.   Large indoor malls and most outdoor shopping malls are perfect for your personal running track.  You can walk around large indoor malls with no worries about the cold, hot or rainy weather, while outdoor malls usually have sidewalks where you can safely walk around.   While she shops in one store, you can easily have your 30 minute workout.  Large malls such as King of Prussia and the WTC Oculus passageways allow you to do as much walking as you can handle.

2.  Lunch hour:  On your 30 or 60 minute break, walk around first then eat - - especially if you are in an office, sitting in a chair for 7-8 hours per day.  Walking also takes your mind off work for a short while and allows you to recharge for the afternoon.  Walk one way for 20 mins, then return back to you office so you have ample time to eat lunch (assuming you brown bag it as I do almost all the time.)  If your office is big enough to have a loop passage (making one complete lap around the office floor) then give it a shot during bad weather.  Just remember other people do work so don't make it a distraction for others.

3.  After work:  Not in any hurry to go home?  No problem, get out a few subway stops before your regular and walk home.   Or check in at home first then go out for your short walk.   Walk around your entire block as many laps as possible without crossing any street.   Taking out the garbage?   Checking your mailbox?  Go around your block a few times.  (Well try to cover your hand while you are taking out the garbage, lol).  Have your household go out on the weekly family walks too and invite your neighbors too. 

4.  Binge walk with your binge watching:   Binge watching for 3 or 6 hours may be good for catching up on your streaming or On-Demand services, but bad for your body as it is in no better shape than sitting in the office,  Every third episode or so, stop and take a 30 minute brisk walk to get your heart pumping.  Then go back home and watch another 3 episodes before going back out for a second brisk walk.   By getting some exercise in for at least 30 minutes every now and then, your body will be in better shape.

5.  College Campuses:  Many major college campuses are huge, and if you are enrolled in one then use the roads and sidewalks to your advantage.   You have something else to use besides the gym building, and by walking you can meet a lot of people in your travels.  I went to Wilson University once and found out that the campus was big enough to do a 15 minute relay around campus grounds. 

Walking will be the best thing you can do in achieving better health,   By using these creative ways, you can incorporate walking into your daily routine as I do on a near daily basis.  Start small with around 3,000 steps or 30 minutes then gradually increase your step goals.  I average around 12K steps a day but have been hitting around 40-50k worth of steps on a couple of days during a walking challenge last year (approx 20-25 miles).  You can do it too. 

As the song by Olivia Newton-John goes - - "Let's get Physical". 

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