Walking is an important part of my daily routine. I try to walk at least 10,000 steps each day. At the moment it’s about 15,000 in average (according to my fitness tracker).
I walk to my workplace in the morning and back in the evening. After lunch I take another walk. All about this is about 60 to 90 minutes of daily walking, depending on the routes I take (I like variation).
It’s no surprise, but walking is healthy. It strengthens your immune system and lets you relieve stress. A recent study even showed, that walking can be as healthy as running, if you walk long enough.
Most people I talked with mentioned, that they would love to walk more. But as it comes to execution, there are excuses like a bad mood or bad weather conditions. In my opinion, letting your mood or the weather control your life will never let you experience great things or accomplish anything valuable. If it rains: Take an umbrella. If you’re grumpy: Kick your grumpiness’ butt with each step you take.
As soon as you made walking a habit, it’s like driving on rails. You do not think about it. You will get rid of distractions, feel your body and listen to your inner voice again. If you are a knowledge worker or creative professional, walking is a factory of great ideas.
Starting is easy, but start small. Get out of the metro or tramway a few stations before and walk to your destination. Or park your car a few blocks away from work and walk the rest. After lunch, take a walk around the block. From time to time, increase the distances. And if your weaker self raises it’s voice: Don’t listen. Just do it. Be a persistent pedestrian.
