Make your walks more enjoyable and get more steps by choosing a walking route with these features – often right near your home or office! The right walking environment encourages you to keep walking and stay out longer, which in turn makes earning the amazing health benefits of walking a piece of cake.
While some people enjoy indoor walking, many are not into walking on a treadmill or just like to experience the outdoors. If that sounds like you, then choosing the right route is likely the key to hitting your ideal step goal. If you’ve been thinking of ways to get some extra steps and make your walk more fun, here are a few interesting route ideas where you can get your daily steps in without feeling like it’s a chore.
Get Pacer! If you don’t have Pacer yet, download Pacer for FREE! (on mobile)
A scenic park – enjoy a green space
No matter where you live, you can usually find a local park that’s not far from your home. Taking a walk through a park lets you exercise in peace and can help improve your mood and make you feel happier. If you’re walking to get some fresh air, why not breathe the fresh air of a park? If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can try taking a walk in a National Park. National Parks can be found throughout the US and in many countries, and offer a great walking environment for walkers of many levels.
Your city’s downtown – urban exploring
Try taking a drive to your local downtown and having a stroll through the streets. This not only allows you to knock out a few steps, but also to get the feel of your town’s history. Most downtown areas have older, historic buildings whose bricks help tell a story of the town’s development. Walking around the area, you can get a feel for what it might have been like years ago in the same neighborhood. You can read the historical signs, ponder the old stones in the pavement and older buildings and even walk into local stores to examine the merchandise. Make your walk an adventure to learn about your area, in addition to making it part of your daily exercise routine. You may find parts of your town that you’ll want to visit again and again, all because of a simple walk.
Your neighborhood – take a “plus one”
Sometimes you don’t want to travel far to walk, and just want to walk around your neighborhood instead. You can still make your neighborhood walk fun by being a little creative. To create a more exciting atmosphere, bring someone with you. It could be as simple as your dog, your neighbor’s dog, or a friend to talk to. Walking with a family member can be a great time to catch up, share stories and learn facts about your area that you never thought about before. Before you know it, you would have walked half your day’s steps away just from having the enjoyment of the company. If you need to walk solo, try looking for local landmarks or interesting points throughout your neighborhood. There’s usually something you can notice that you’ve never really noticed before.
Walk with a mission
Still having trouble finding a good place and time to walk? Here are a few extra ways that you can find ways to get more steps close to where you live.
Find your new lunch spot
Have some extra time during your lunch break? Get extra steps by finding a new lunch spot or hidden gem that’s a bit farther away from your office. If there are no great dining options available, there may be a coffee shop or specialty store that you can visit after taking a quick bite at work. The important thing is that you find somewhere to walk during your break time. You’ll expand your lunch options and have the opportunity for a mini-adventure while getting more active. Having to walk can also help you avoid eating too big of a lunch since you’ll have to walk back!
Do your errands walking for a change
Have some errands to run this week? Try taking 15 minutes to see if you can plan walking routes for your errands this week and see how many steps you’ll get! If the location is far, see if you can drive to one location and walk to several others. If you’re having trouble finding multiple places to go, see if there are any parks, walking trails or interesting places to visit near your errand locations.
Although many of us walk for health, having fun while walking is just as important. Putting yourself in an environment that’s conducive to walking can help motivate you to walk more, even on days that you’re not feeling up to walking. It also helps you walk longer and be happier in general! Choose the right walking path to explore nature, know your city a little better and get some great exercise while getting more steps than your friends!
Get Pacer
If you haven’t downloaded the Pacer app yet, download Pacer for free (on mobile)! You can also check out our website (mobile or desktop) or follow our blog for more great walking and healthy lifestyle tips.
Great ideas for more steps ! 😇