I do not know how many times I have failed to motivate myself to do more physical activity such as walking. Most of the time I want to do it, but I just can’t seem to make it part of my daily routine.
We all know that physical exercises can help us stay active, but many of us forget about the power of a simple walk yet there are so many physical benefits associated with it.
As a diagnostic radiographer who looks at bones every day, I have come to understand the benefit of walking to keep our bones and body fit and healthy.
You are perfectly normal if you lack motivation to walk. Here are the 7 things that have motivated me to walk every day, and I have also based on scientific readings on motivating change.
Happy reading!😃
Any questions? remarks? Let’s meet in the comments section at the end of this article.🙏
Last updated: Nov 2024. Written by Juliet Semakula a diagnostic radiographer
Summary: Do you know that walking for just 20 minutes has been shown to increase our mental alertness and reduce the risk of heart disease and have a positive impact on our general health.
According to the national health sector (NHS) physical guidelines for adults in the United Kingdom, we are recommended to at least walk a brisk 10 minutes daily.
Before you start walking get comfortable shoes or trainers that provide adequate support that will not cause you blister.
You may have to take some water, health snacks, a sun hat and a spare top or a waterproof jack in a small backpack. You never know when you may need them.
▶️What are the 7 ideas to inspire you to walk more?
1️⃣Set yourself a reasonable, progressive walking goal.
Have you ever tried to implement a new habit, skill or goal? Let it be a side hustle, you are usually full of motivation and energy …. in the first week!
The hardest part is maintaining a new habit over time.
There are so many exercises you can want to try but, in this article, focus will be on walking because the best thing with it, it is a gentle form of exercise suitable for many of us including people recovering from surgery or any illness.
If you have not been walking for a while you cannot start walking 10000 steps a day, you will be put off quickly.
You must set realistic goals that are achievable, and you can maintain the pace. Making it a habit is the easiest way to walk more.
You can start walking without timing yourself, just walk a few 10 minutes steps a day for two weeks, especially if you have not been active at all.
Start from this base level to set your goal.
For example, if you currently walk 1000 steps a day on average, you could target 1500 steps per day for 2 weeks, then increase to 2000 steps for a month and so on.
2️⃣You can use an app or notebook to quantify your activity.🈸
A pedometer or app can help you truck your progress, boosting your extrinsic motivation.
If you can still talk while walking but you can not sing the words to a song, then you can tell you are walking briskly steps that are fast enough.
You can try using the (free active 10 app) on your smartphone if you have one to help you determine how fast you are walking.
Just seeing your steps accumulate is enough to motivate you to walk more.
You can choose the tool that appeals to you. I use the NHS ACTIVE 10 APP.
What is an Active 10 app for those who do not know what it is?
The NHS Active 10 walking Tracker or pedometer is a free and easy to use walking app that tracks your walking and shows you how you can increase your intensity to benefit your health.
The app is designed to support you every step of the way to increase your daily level of physical activity, with simple and achievable milestones and rewards along the way.
You can download it on your phone at Google Play for free. I do use it, and I believe it’s nice, you can try it and leave your feedback at the end of this article.
It tells you when you’re walking fast enough and suggests ways to fit in some more brisk walking
To keep things interesting, Active 10 allows you to work towards a goal and rewards your progress.
3️⃣ Walk in a group or with a friend.👬
Sometimes it is nice to have company with a friend or a group of people. This makes the whole routine experience more enjoyable.
Imagine the whole chatting you can do this helps you to get your steps and make connections.
Even when you are thinking of skipping the walk, just the thought of disappointing your friends pushes you to go.
4️⃣ Listen to a good podcast, a notebook or music or you can make a phone call
Walking while listening to music or a podcast gets you into a rhythm and can take your mind off the effort making the whole experience enjoyable.
You will be surprised of how time goes and how many steps you would have done.
You can listen to a notebook. For example, I know some people who are not much of a physical reader, but they have found that listening to an e-book while walking has made them rediscover the joy of reading as well.
5️⃣Do less rather than nothing at all on unmotivated days.
It is very normal to have days when you do not feel like walking. Instead of getting discouraged, reassure yourself that doing less is better than doing nothing.
If you have been driving to the shops, take a walk, if you have been taking a lift at work, forget it and take the stairs.
If you are someone like me where my son’s school is a 5-minute walk, stop driving there and take a walk for school drops and pick up.
Sometimes, just getting out and saying to yourself, I am only going to take 5 minutes can be enough to trigger a longer walking session.
6️⃣Plan your walking well by setting a time and a challenge.
You must identify your walking motivation, and you incorporate it into your daily routine.
🟢What is the reason and benefit you want to walk.
🟢Have a reflection, why are you always looking forward to seeing results.
So, creating a daily habit will make it easier to continue in the long-term.
There will be difficult days for example when it is very cold, rainy or too hot and you may feel like not walking.
In such a situation when you have created a daily habit it will be easier for you to still do a few steps within the house.
7️⃣Find new places to wander and make it more like a workout.
Your enthusiasm to go for a walk might decline if you’re constantly walking the same route, seeing the same things.
You could decide to explore somewhere new, try to find places you have not ventured to before.
You could head on a short drive away to find new walking places, leave your car and start walking, you can always come back to it.
That’s all I wanted to say on the subject! Any questions or comments see you in the comments section.
Wishing you a good motivation spirit🙋
📚Sources.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/walking-for-health
Kortmann T, Schumacher G. Körperliche aktivität bei übergewicht und adipositas [Physical activity in obesity and overweight]. Ther Umsch. 2013 Feb;70(2):113-7. German. doi: 10.1024/0040-5930/a000375. PMID: 23385190.
Williams DM, Matthews CE, Rutt C, Napolitano MA, Marcus BH. Interventions to increase walking behavior. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Jul;40(7 Suppl):S567-73. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31817c7006. PMID: 18562974; PMCID: PMC2694671.