Hello my beautiful friends! I know you’ve been wondering where I’ve been… what I’ve been doing when I’m not writing in this space… well, if you’re on my instagram, you already know. I’ve gone for a walk every day, for at least 30 minutes, for a month.
I have to give credit where credit is due – I absolutely got this idea from Kayla Nelson. She described walking for 30 minutes as the key to health and, hey, I was done my barre challenge so why not take something else on? (Sidebar: I discovered Kayla’s youtube channel just over a month ago and I’m officially obsessed. I love her realistic approach to fitness, food and wellness.)
I think we’ve all read about the cardiovascular and muscular benefits of walking, so I’m not going to belabor that here, I’m just going to do what I do best – talk about my own experiences!
Alright, Girl, Tell Us About These Hot Girl Walks!
First things first – this is not a post about Hot Girl Walks. Mostly because that is a phrase that makes me giggle every time I hear it and walking is serious business, y’all. Also because I prefer not to be alone with my thoughts… that is why I write them down for you all to read. (Seriously… you spend the entire walk thinking about things you’re grateful for, things you want to accomplish, and how hot you are. I spend my walks thinking about podcasts and alternating between thinking through work problems or being mad at them. Plus you must walk outside and… please, I live in Canada. Sometimes I’ll be walking inside, thanks.)
Alright, Girl, Tell Us About These Very Normal Walks
Oh, I will. Because, honestly, I think that is the best thing about a 30 minute walk goal.
It is so normal. It is so achievable. This is the tiniest time commitment and almost anyone can fit it in. You don’t have to be fast. You don’t have to go far. I mean, you could even do it in your home. You can walk every day. Sometimes you might not have time to drive all the way to a studio and take an hour long fitness class, but you can probably get outside for 30 minutes while your food is cooking, or the dishwasher is running, or you were going to watch New Girl before bed…
Before I started doing this, I read a lot of articles about walking every day. Some of these had truly monumental goals. I applaud this girl who decided to walk 12,000 steps a day and thus took a one hour and 45 minute walk every day before work, but I think we all know that’s not feasible for everyone. And I’m for achievable and do-able goals. So half an hour it was, and if I went longer, that was cool too.
What I Loved About Walking Every Day
- The short time commitment.
- I mean… I’ve already talked about this.
- The fact that I didn’t need any equipment.
- To be honest, I sometimes didn’t even wear runners. Maybe don’t copy me because I’m sure it’s bad for your arches, but I had no problem with just heading out in ballet flats or whatever shoes I had on. A half hour really isn’t that long, so there wasn’t really an opportunity to get blisters or whatever.
- I had the opportunity to catch up on my podcasts.
- I mean, I still have a backlog of like two months, but it’s way better than the half year backlog I had before.
- To mix it up, I was forced to explore new walking routes.
- I usually default to the same loop around Carburn Park, which started to get old. It was fun to wander down different streets in my neighbourhood or river paths.
- It doesn’t feel like exercise.
- But it is!
What About the Downsides?
I usually get stressed out during challenges. I get worried about fitting in everything I want to achieve with all the other demands on my time. But this time I didn’t really get stressed, because it was so low-key. I did have to be a little bit mindful with my scheduling. Otherwise I ended up wandering the streets at 10 pm… (which is kind of nice too?)
Will You Keep Going for A Walk Every Day?
Oh yes, yes I will. I made the commitment on Instagram to keep walking daily for 100 days (and posting a picture for accountability), and I wouldn’t be surprised if it keeps going after that. A habit is already forming.
I won’t beat myself up if I miss a day here or there, but I really am starting to crave my walks.
I also expect that the walks might get a little bit longer, as I return to the office after our renovations are complete. This is mostly because the loops around my office are just longer and I love walking on my lunch breaks. Not because I want to achieve more!
So? What do you all think? After all my rave reviews, do you think you would want to walk every day? Sound off in the comments!