A morning walk outdoors offers more than physical benefits. You come across a wide variety of people and are never deprived of interesting moments if you care to look around. Not just the people, the styles of exercising are varied as well. One of the blessings of walking outdoors is that you are naturally involved and you would never want to miss being a part of these interesting moments an outdoor morning walk could offer.
(Visit this page for benefits of walking)
Morning walk has its share of fun and can also stimulate a wide range of emotions apart from the benefits it offers. Walkers come in all forms and with various plans. Some walkers seem created precisely for the purpose..then there are walkers who involve various techniques, walkers who go through the motions of walking, kids who indulge in fun-filled walking while walking...all these stimulate various emotions in you. You can get motivated, experience joy, feel sorry and find someone's activities interesting. The body language of some kids who walk will be a reflection of their mood having been made to rise early. To put it shortly (after all these?) outdoor walking has loads to offer.
If you are the type that says, "Agreed it is all fun and interesting. Still, I would rather walk indoors". With daily challenges to handle and the need to drive long hours to workplace and back home, one may not feel inclined to step out of the house for walking. Yes, I read you. Still, I would suggest you try outdoor walking for at least two weeks and you will never ever choose to walk indoors.
Here are some easy ways to make your outdoor walking interesting and rewarding.
Determine Your Goals
Some start well but soon seem to lose interest. Stepping out before sunrise cannot be too tempting a thought for some. Setting goals can be one of the best ways, if not the best way, to stay motivated.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Set Fitness Goals:Base your goals on your fitness requirements. If you are planning to reduce tummy fat, set a time limit within which you need to start showing results. Same to reduce blood glucose levels and high blood pressure.
Set Time Goals:Beginners can commence with 15-minute walk everyday gradually increasing the duration to 30 minute a day. It is recommended to generally brisk walk for 30 minutes 5 days in a week. It is great if you can walk for 40 minutes to one hour a day.
Set Distance Goals: Set a goal in terms of the distance you walk. Assuming you cover 1 kilometer in 20 minutes initially, set a goal to complete 1 kilometer in lesser minutes. You can download apps in your mobile to help with assessment. If you are against using apps, you can just set a goal to cover the usual distance you walk in lesser minutes.
Wear For Walk
While many wear walking clothes, some do wear clothes that do not support comfortable walking. Wearing clothes and shoes appropriate for walking offers quite a few benefits. Here you go:
- Wearing walking clothes supports free movement.
- Walking wearing appropriate walking clothes will inspire yourself. Your mind starts getting ready right from the moment you set aside the walking clothes you are going to wear for the next day's morning walk.
- Go for shoes that are designed for walking exercise as they offer the best comfort. Walking barefoot offers many benefits as well. We will cover the benefits of walking barefoot in a future post.
Appreciate Nature
"When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.” - John Lennon
As you set out walking outdoors, the views of dawn break, gathered or scattered clouds, slowly rising sun are all so appealing that you may never want to take your eyes off them, of course until they hurt. Outdoor walking lets you be surrounded by nature. Take a few moments off to capture the magical moment. If you are bent on maintaining time-distance ratio you can still send a glance that way to appreciate nature and feel the freshness of it deep inside.
Okay, fine, the photo below is not of the rising sun. It was one beautiful sunset moment the city sky could offer and who would want to miss sharing it. Not me for sure.
A walk by the river
Nature always has a compelling appeal for me. When I spot a beautiful natural scenery, my legs refuse to move and my hands quickly reach for my mobile to capture the moment. Well, this is definitely not a deviation from walking exercise. Our daily routine is so stressful most of the times that we tend to miss some glorious sights that nature bestows us with; and we miss experiencing those soul-filling moments. I always choose to photograph the moment. To quote John Keats, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever".
City life may not offer unhindered visions of the skies always. Still, you can get playful where nature blends with modern life.
'Over' an electric cable in Pallikkaranai:
Sunlamp moments: 'Over' a streetlamp near Velachery MRTS:
Choose Different Routes
You can opt for different walking routes instead of walking in the same route. If it is street on a day, it could be park on day 2 and beach on day 3. If you can get up really early, you can drive to a different locality, park your vehicle and go for a walk.
Get Creative With Techniques
Add some dose of creativity to make your morning walking sessions interesting and more productive. Here are some challenges to consider while walking:
- Walk on different surfaces. Even surface, up the hill or on a over bridge if it is traffic-free are some of the possibilities to consider to make your walking challenging. You can also walk on beach sand, grass and pebbles.
A walk on the grass. Is the monkey waiting to join?
A challenging walk on a route that lead to mountain which was followed by trekking.
- You can use ankle weights while walking to increase the intensity. It increases your endurance and strengthens your muscles further. However, there are views against using ankle weights while walking. Will come up with a post on using ankle weights while walking on one of these days.
- Practice reverse walking. Walk for 10 to 15 minutes backwards. Get back here again for a post on benefits of reverse walking in a few days time.
Add A Workout Session
Adding a workout session to your regular walking exercise can make your walking more interesting and rewarding. Walk up to a particular distance, choose a nice place and do some forward, backward bends and stretches. Active Instagram and Facebook users can post their walking workout sessions to inspire others.
Mix, Match, Enjoy the Benefits
Well, it need not be walking throughout. You can jog in between or sprint or walk sideways. Just get creative and add some intensity and fun to your walking.
Your Moment for Reward
Ok, it is time for a pat on your back. When a route becomes walkers-friendly it also naturally becomes tea shops-friendly. Reward yourself with a cup of tea or a juice. Enjoy the moments you wait for your ordered drink to arrive, have a friendly chat with those around you and complete your walking for the day.
Rama Thamizharasu
Welcome to yogaaatral. I am a yoga therapist, SEO consultant, writer and translator. If you love pets, we invite you to visit our pet blog @ https://voiceofapet.blogspot.com/ and our YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/@PetsDiaryandMomsToo
