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There’s nothing quite like going for a long walk in the sunshine and the fresh spring air.
It’s one of the best times of year to get your daily step count up while enjoying the sights and sounds of nature—especially after those long, dark winter months.
Walking is also a great way to burn more calories and lose weight, keep your body fit and healthy while boosting your mood.
That should be motivation enough to lace up your walking shoes and get outside, but sometimes you just need a little bit more encouragement. And that’s totally OK!
There will be days when you just don’t feel like heading out for a stroll, but it’s so important for your health to walk daily and keep moving everyday.
As fun as walking can be on its own, sometimes you want a little more excitement—a way to spice up your daily strolls.
The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to make your walks more entertaining and interactive.
We’ve pulled together some of our favorite ways to make walks about more than just putting one foot in front of the other.
If you’re looking for some inspiration to help you head outdoors and get your steps in, here are seven enjoyable and easy ways to make your walking routine fun and exciting this spring.
Let’s go.
1. Get creative
A really fun way to mix up your walks is to get creative—literally.
Bringing an interactive or artistic element adds an extra incentive to get strolling. It’s also a great way to tie in some of your hobbies and interests.
You could pick up some art supplies, then walk somewhere scenic where you can sit and paint or draw the landscape around you.
Or use your surroundings to help produce your artwork. Just grab some sheets of paper and some crayons, pencils, or chalk. Then take some nature rubbings of tree bark, leaves, or anything else you can find with interesting shapes and textures.
Maybe you’re more of a shutterbug with an interest in photography. If that’s your style then set yourself a theme for the day or try to encapsulate a feeling or vibe in your pictures.
2. Get into nature
One of the best things about spring is that nature really comes to life again.
Animals come out of hibernation, flowers and trees start to bloom—and it’s the season for baby animals to start gamboling around.
There’s no better opportunity to walk among it all and take in the very best of the natural world.
You could try to spot as many different animals in your area as you can. Or go birdwatching, search for insects, even identify the local plants. It’s a varied world out there, and it’s waiting to be discovered.
Even just heading somewhere new can make your walks more exciting. Taking in novel scenery can really brighten up your day and calm your mind.
No matter where you are in the world, there will be some nice parks, beaches, rivers, hills, or fields nearby. So go out there and explore—you’ll be amazed at all the stunning places in your area you’ve never seen before.
3. Get listening
As well as the sights of nature, the sounds can be really relaxing, too.
But if you’re happy to go without listening to all the noises that are going on around you, pop your headphones on while you’re out and about instead.
There are lots of fun things to listen to that can keep your mind occupied and enhance your walking experience…
- Play some upbeat or relaxing music (whichever suits your mood)
- Download some podcasts
- Listen to audiobooks
- Learn a language
- Catch up with friends or family members on the phone
- Have a walking meeting as part of your work (OK, not necessarily fun, but it’s definitely productive!)
Just make sure you stay safe when your ears are otherwise occupied. Always be aware of your surroundings and never risk your wellbeing, just so you can listen to your favorite playlists.
BONUS: Listen to our dedicated PhenQ Spotify playlist while you’re out strolling for added motivation…
4. Get playful
Like most things in life, walking becomes much more fun when you turn it into a game.
If you like to walk on your own, you could set mini-goals or challenges. Either against yourself, or virtually against others through a fitness app or walking website.
You could aim to beat previous times and distances, or task yourself with finding or spotting certain things.
There are some great Smartphone apps that track your progress and provide real-time feedback to help you set goals and keep you motivated. Just link one up to your smartwatch or fitness tracker and away you go.
You can get even more inventive if you’re walking with your family. Play your favorite childhood games like I-Spy or tag with the kids, or do some cloud-spotting to see who can pick out the different types of clouds. Why not see who can find the funniest shapes among them?
Another fun activity that is becoming really popular worldwide is geocaching. It’s an outdoor treasure hunt with over three million caches hidden across the globe! Just download the Geocaching app to help you navigate to the coordinates of the hiding places.
You can then log your finds and tick them off your list. Some caches have little rewards and treasures that you can take home with you after as well. Just make sure you leave something in return for the next person to find.
If you really want to step it up a level you could even create your own scavenger hunt for your family to enjoy.
5. Get social
If your friends and family aren’t keen on walking but you’d still like some company as you hit the paths and walkways, there are plenty of like-minded people out there looking to add a social element to their walks.
Join a local walking group if there’s one in your area. Or, if there isn’t one, set one up yourself. Just create a Facebook group that people in your town can join.
It’s great fun discovering new places and walking with others. Plus you’ll all motivate each other when you feel like skipping your daily stroll.
It’s not just humans that you could walk with—dogs are excellent company, too (but you already knew that).
If you don’t have a dog in your household, then offer to walk the dog of a friend or family member.
Or get involved in some of the amazing charitable organizations around the country by volunteering to take shelter dogs for some regular exercise.
See if there’s one in your local community that could appreciate the help. The dogs will certainly enjoy the extra attention and a nice play outdoors.
6. Get helpful
Speaking of charity, there are some incredible ways to give purpose to your walks that can benefit others.
Sponsored walking challenges can help raise money for causes close to your heart—so you’ll be extra motivated to get your steps in each day.
It doesn’t have to be quite so formal, either. Why not grab a litter picker and help clear the public walkways in your area? It always feels great to do your bit for your local community, plus it keeps the environment looking nice and clean.
7. Get active
Walking is great aerobic exercise in its own right. But if you want to step it up (pun intended) even further, you could add some extra exercises to your daily jaunts.
It doesn’t have to be anything too demanding, even just dancing along to the beat on your headphones can increase calorie burn. Create a fun playlist of energetic and motivating tunes, then move to the rhythm as you go. Outdoor dance party for the win!
If you’re really keen to add a more athletic element to your walks, throw in some jogging intervals along the way. Upping the pace and intensity for short bursts will get those muscles working even harder, your blood pumping, and your heart rate up for a big boost to your cardiovascular fitness.
Another way to challenge yourself physically is by walking uphill. Walking on an incline is slightly more taxing than on a flat surface, as it creates more natural resistance for your body to work against. Then you get to enjoy the casual stroll back down afterwards.
It’s not just your physical health that you can work on, your mental health can improve, too.
Pay attention to your breath as you walk and focus on taking slow, deep breaths to calm your mind and bring your attention to the current moment.
Then start to engage all your senses to notice the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Appreciating the beauty of your surroundings can help you feel more connected and present.
You can even practice walking meditation by bringing your attention to the sensations in your body, the rhythm of your steps, and the movement of your muscles.
You’ll really begin to learn how your body feels and appreciate how incredible it is that you get to experience the walk in nature.
Read: Unleashing The Power Of Mindfulness: How It Can Help You Lose Weight And Keep It Off
The health benefits of walking
Walking really is one of the most underrated forms of exercise. There are loads of other health benefits to increasing your daily step count, especially when it comes to losing weight.
Not only is it a low-impact activity that’s gentle on your joints—it’s also accessible to people of all fitness levels and abilities.
If you weren’t already sold on regular walks as a way to enhance your health, take a look at these great reasons to incorporate walking into your weight-loss routine.
Burn extra calories
Walking at a brisk pace burns a significant amount of calories, making it an effective way to create a daily calorie deficit and shed those extra pounds.
Boost your metabolism
Regular walking can increase your metabolism, which allows your body to burn more calories and more body fat throughout the day—even when you're not exercising!
Improved cardiovascular health
Walking is a cardiovascular activity that strengthens your heart and improves blood circulation, reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Stronger muscles and bones
Walking engages multiple muscle groups, including your legs, glutes, and core. It also helps improve bone density, leading to reduced risk of osteoporosis.
Enhanced mental wellbeing
As walking releases endorphins (the "feel-good" hormones), it can lead to reduced stress, improved mood, and alleviated symptoms of depression and anxiety. So it’s a boost to your mental health as well as your physical fitness.
Just get walking
Walking is clearly an effective and enjoyable way to burn more calories, lose weight, improve your cardiovascular health, and enhance your overall wellbeing. But why settle for a monotonous stroll when you can turn it into a fun and effective workout?
By infusing your walks with excitement, variety, and mindfulness, you can make them more engaging and start building a healthy lifestyle that isn’t dull and boring—you can achieve all your weight-loss goals while having a blast!
If you're ready to step up the fun factor, sign up for your free steps tracker above. It's for walking warriors—just like you—who are constantly finding new and creative ways to add regular physical activity and extra movement into their lives.
We’ll all be right there with you on your health and fitness journey, as you turn your daily walking routine into a calorie-burning adventure.
The only thing left to do now is lace up your walking shoes, then get ready to have fun, shed some pounds, and achieve your fitness goals all at the same time!
