Everyone knows walking (or any other cardio activity) is good for your health. But life gets busy, the hours at work get longer, which as a result, you get more tired earlier, and lying on the couch sounds pretty nice! Life is a whirlwind of frenzy.

The secret to those people who have no trouble in fitting in a walk into their daily lives is simple. Walking fits into their personal interests, activities, and responsibilities. It naturally becomes a part of their days and life. Walking is fun and practical for those people. They multitask, by having a conversation with a friend, spouse, or grandchild during a walk. You can find peace in taking a walk through the woods. You can catch up on that book you’ve been meaning to get to – by audiotape. Walking helps balance these avid walkers’ lives.

Here are a few tips in converting walking into your everyday lifestyle:

• Instead of taking the car to run those errands within a mile of your house, take a walk to the bank, post office, or library. If you usually drive to pick up a sandwich for lunch, walk, and don’t just walk to the closest store or restaurant. Give yourself a few extra steps.
• So, you love to be outside? Take a walk on some trails, through the woods, around a pond. Search for new walking or hiking trails near your neighborhood.
• If the traffic and bad air quality get to you, check the local indoor mall hours. Malls usually open before the shops do, so you can walk without the hustle and bustle of shoppers.
• If you enjoy the company of others while exercising, ask a friend to join you, take part in a community walk, or join a walking club.
• If you get bored easily and you need something to challenge you, take a hilly route, take different walks instead of going the same way around town, add stairs, deep lunges, and squats to your routine.
• And the best suggestion is to talk and walk with someone who you know walks daily. Get ideas on what they do to stay motivated and dedicated to their exercise routines.

Now is the perfect time! Fall is setting in, the humidity is decreasing, the air is becoming cooler, and it is a perfect time to lace up those tennies and walk to better health!

Source: AARP. “Make Walking a Way of Life.”