Whether you’ve been working from home and Zoom fatigue is wearing you down, juggling home-schooling, or find yourself with more time on your hands than you have ways to spend it, taking a walk and getting a blast of fresh air is a great way to break up your day. Walking is good for your mind as well as your body, especially during these challenging times.
For some, walking has been a valuable source of social connection during lockdown. Just a year ago we wouldn’t have imagined someone saying “I walked 70,000 steps” when asked how their weekend was. We get it, the novelty can wear a bit thin after a while. Inspired by a post from local Business Coach James Akin-Smith, here are some ideas to help you “Walk with Purpose”.
Social connection and interaction
Mixing up who you walk with can give you a much broader range of conversation. Maybe you could arrange a rotation of friends or family members to walk with on a regular basis?
If distance, the rules or other limitations don’t allow that, then a phone call with a friend or loved one while you’re walking can be an alternative to generate some warmth and laughter during your walk. There’s nothing like a good laugh to help us feel connected.
A walk with a dog that loves nothing more than being outdoors and running around can be a source of much amusement. If you don’t have a dog, can you borrow one? As a result of shielding and other health limitations, some people are struggling to walk their dogs, which could make for a win-win situation. Surprisingly, even cats like to go for a walk accompanied by a human sometimes.
Gain some perspective
It’s been a long winter, but the arrival of sunshine and spring flowers makes for some relaxing and enjoyable walks. Fresh air and some different surroundings can be all that’s needed to give our brains a boost and get a different perspective on something that’s been on our mind.
Why not pick a favourite walk with the intention of slowing down and absorbing the beauty of the environment around you. What things can you see that you haven’t spotted previously? There’s a whole world in front of us that passes by when we’re rushing from one thing to the next.
Give yourself the time and space to daydream. Allow yourself to get completely lost in your thoughts. Or use your walk for precious thinking time. What questions do you have on your mind that you’d like to give attention to? You can either use your phone to record your thoughts or jot them down when you get to your destination. Some fantastic creative thinking can be done while walking.
Satisfy a curiosity
What have you always wanted to learn more about but haven’t had the time or opportunity? Audio books have opened up possibilities for education so it’s now possible to ‘read’ while you’re doing something else. You could listen to a book (or podcast) on a period in history that’s of particular interest to you, or about somewhere you would love to visit when we’re able to travel again.
If you enjoy fiction, why not listen to an audiobook, and only allow yourself to do so when you’re out walking. A great incentive to walk so you can find out what happens next!
You could download a language app to your phone and use your walk to learn a new lingo, or brush up on one that’s got a bit rusty. Or are there other new skills you would like to learn?
Of course, listening to music can also add another dimension to your walking.
Work on your fitness and physical wellbeing
Depending on the terrain and the speed you walk at, it’s likely that you burn in the region of 100 calories per mile you walk. If done regularly, depending on your inclination, that can either be a great way to shed some pounds or a good excuse to indulge in a tasty treat.
Vary your route by throwing in some hills. Walking up and down hills uses different muscle groups, supporting better all-round physical wellbeing.
For the competitive among us, there are many ways you can track your progress. Why not see if you can beat the clock. Pick a route you particularly enjoy or find especially challenging. Time it, then see if you can beat that every time you do that walk over the coming weeks.
Use the time to be productive
Could you use your walking time to multi-task and have a business meeting, or are there phone calls you could make while you’re walking? A break from your desk doesn’t necessarily need to mean a break from work.
If you have a friend or family member you would like to be in more regular contact with, then a pre-arranged catch-up with them, while you’re walking, could give you an opportunity to feel a sense of fulfilment by the end of your walk.
Whichever idea you fancy the most, pick one and give it a go. We would love to hear about your experiences.