Who wouldn’t want to go exploring on a day like this?
For the past few weeks, I had been in beast mode. I’d been living off of salads, lean meats and beans. I’d been hitting the gym and the pavement extra hard to keep my body in motion.
And I was dog tired.
All I wanted to do is sleep when I was done. My dog had been getting the bare minimum of attention because I couldn’t keep up with him—and he’s 13. That’s 91 in dog years. So basically I was being punked in the energy department by a nonagenarian. Excuse me while I sweep up my ego.
I know I’ve got to keep moving and watching what I eat in order to maintain my health, but it’s difficult to maintain beast-mode levels of diet and exercise. So what’s a girl to do?
I got to stepping. The weather has been phenomenal in New York. We’ve had sunny skies with warm, breezy temps. It’s been perfect for lounging. But instead, I started walking.
Just keep stepping. Just keep stepping.
I’ve discussed before on here how I love exploring New York and the benefits of living in a walking city. But when you need to stay active and just keep your body moving, nothing beats walking.
Walking has to be one of the most underrated forms of exercise. You’ve been doing it since you were a toddler. You know how it works. You generally have some idea of where you’re going. And it’s an easy group activity.
So why is it the red-headed stepchild of workout routines? Because of all the reasons I mentioned above, especially the part of how you’ve been doing it since you were a toddler. But that doesn’t make it any less valid.
People need to keep moving. We’re like sharks in that if we don’t move, we die. There are actually thousands upon thousands of articles on the web that tell of the benefits of walking, especially getting in the recommended 10,000 steps a day.
Ten thousand may seem extreme, but it can be accomplished pretty easily.
1. Get a pedometer. My hiatus from beast mode has made my pedometer my friend. You’d be surprised how many steps you actually take in a day. If you have a sedentary job like I do, you probably think you take maybe 3,000 steps a day. But what about walking into work? Walking to a co-worker’s desk or another department in your building? The jumping off point to see how many more steps you need to take a day. Who knows? You might be hitting the 10,000 mark on the regular and not even know it.
2. Go on a boo stroll. Summertime is great for cheap dates. And nothing’s cheaper than free. So grab your boo and pull a Jill Scott (take a long long around the park after dark). You can get to know each other better and burn some calories in the process. It’s a win-win.
3. Walking lunch. Eating at your desk can be a bummer, but so is having to get a wider chair because your butt is expanding. So take that half-hour or so you would to go down to the cafeteria and walk a few blocks around your office. Grab a co-worker so you two can vent about your day. It’s a great mental health break from your job and a fantastic physical health benefit to your body.
4. Park further away/take longer route from the subway. Unless you’re hauling heavy equipment on the regular, there’s no need to park right in front of the office or at the grocery store. A few extra steps won’t kill you. If you’re like me and public transportation is your pal, walk a little further to the next subway stop. Instead of walking the five blocks to my nearest station, I sometimes will walk 10 minutes to a different one. It gives me a small sense of accomplishment.
5. Become a hometown tourist. There’s nothing like discovering something new about your own town. Get off at a stop you’ve never been to before. Drive to a different part of town and walk around. Look up what’s happening in a different area than you usually hang out and go there. See what else your city has to offer outside of your own zip code. You’ll be adding steps in no time.
Keeping it moving is essential keeping your metabolism going. Walking is a great way to do that. And it’s the first exercise you learned. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
How many steps do you think you take in a day?
I'm Skinny, Now What? 
Since my half at the beginning of June – I’ve basically only been walking. The half beat me up mentally and made me want to curl up and never move again. I had a doctor’s visit the week after, and as usual, she asked me how running was going. I told her that I was in a hate-hate relationship with it right now, and the first thing she told me to do was just walk. I don’t feel lazy by doing this, and I’m regularly hitting my 10K pedometer goal – and usually exceeding it. Plus, while walking, I actually get to enjoy nature and my surroundings. For example, today, I saw 10 rabbits frolicking (one little wee bunny was sleeping) and I get to see wildlife just being themselves – none of which I’d see if I was clomping down the trails while running. My muscle tone is staying the same, and I don’t dread lacing up in the mornings. Highly recommend it.
That’s great, Beth. Walking is a great runner’s break. I still think you’ll get back to running after you’ve had enough time away from it.