Who Else Wants to Beat Boredom While Walking?

You know that walking is great exercise, but maybe you become bored easily. Your treadmill starts to gather dust, and you're tired of doing laps around your local park.

You might stop making excuses if you thought about what you were missing. Walking for at least 21 minutes a day can cut your risk of heart disease by 30%, according to Harvard Medical School.

For every 30 minutes you walk at a moderate pace, you burn about 200 calories while enhancing your circulation and brightening your mood. Plus, it's free and requires no equipment.

Break up the monotony that stands between you and your walking program. Let these challenges and distractions help you walk your way to the fitness you desire.

Challenges to Make Walking More Fun

1. Set a goal.

You'll look forward to your walk when you focus on your purpose. Maybe you want to lose weight or condition your heart.

Maybe you're inspired by studies that show how walking slows down mental decline associated with aging.

2. Cross train.

Walking is even more beneficial when you add other forms of exercise. Walk to the gym so you can finish up your workout with some weight lifting and stretching.

3. Work out in intervals.

Vary your pace to make walking more interesting and productive. You could alternate between 3 minutes of brisk activity and 3 minutes at a gentler pace.

4. Tone your arms.

Give your upper body some attention while you're toning your legs. While hand weights can be tough on your joints, there are other ways to sculpt your arms and shoulders.

Bring along an exercise band for arm circles and shoulder presses.

5. Head uphill.

If you think walking is too easy, take it up a notch. Set your treadmill to a steep incline. Climb stairs or hike up a mountain.

Distractions to Make Walking More Fun

1. Find a buddy.

Spend more time with your spouse or kids by taking a walk together. Invite a neighbor or coworker to join you for a morning or lunchtime outing.

2. Join a group.

If walking with one partner is more fun, how about a whole group? Check Meetup listings or post a notice at your favorite coffee shop.

3. Listen to music.

Play your favorite tunes or listen to an audio book. Studies prove that music reduces perceived effort so you're likely to walk faster and longer without even noticing the extra effort.

4. Vary your route.

A change of scenery is bound to do you good. Take your daily constitutional to a shopping district where you can admire the store windows.

Saunter through a public garden or the sculpture court of an art museum.

5. Bring your dog.

Your dog is an expert on how to appreciate a good walk. Share his enthusiasm for checking out new sights and sounds.

Other Tips to Overcome Boredom

1. Practice meditation.

While you won't reach top speeds, walking meditation can be a pleasant way to experience the joys of movement.

Pace around your back yard or living room while you chant mantras or focus on your breath.

2. Change your schedule.

Any activity may be more appealing if you fit it into the time when you're at peak performance.

See if walking after dinner feels different from an early morning outing.

3. Give back.

Support a good cause by going on a charity walk to support a group that resonates with you. You'll be rewarded with a cool t-shirt and a sense of satisfaction.

Walking can be fun. Find creative ways to make your walks more challenging and engaging so you'll stay motivated and enjoy your workout.

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Lifetime Fitness Exercise guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over a decade and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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Why You Should Be Running Every Day

Running is one of the most natural and pure systems for developing balance in your body. There are also a host of other benefits that running can bring to your body and mind, including physical fitness, mood enhancing, stress relief, and an overall feeling of wellbeing.

Humans have been running for a very long time. Our physiology has evolved to be highly specific and highly functional runners.

Consider these reasons why you should start running:

1. Running strengthens your feet.

There might not be a better exercise for developing strong and coordinated foot patterns. Your feet are built like springs, but without proper training, they lose their elasticity.

● In some cases, this means you could actually lose some of your strength and power when you are pushing through your feet on squats and deadlifts.

● A strong base is a strong lift. Running can help to provide you with a strong base of support and elastic-like tensegrity in the feet.

2. Running is great for alignment.

Assuming you have half-decent running form, your jogging is going to be great for alignment.

The average person sits for about 6 hours a day. Without standing and running, your body may become accustomed to slouching and back pain.

● Slowly moving into more running can be one of the most effective ways to improve your posture and train your muscles to fire properly.

3. Running is euphoric.

Think back to when you were a kid: running around and playing outside was likely the most fun you’ve ever had.

This same experience can come back as long runs provide a literal high that leads to a euphoric state.

● On top of having an amazing experience, you are conditioning the body to better utilize oxygen and improving your body composition.

4. Running is easy to moderate and improve.

Cardio training like running is one of the easiest styles of training to make progressions in.

● There are really only two basic premises - intensity and duration. Either you run longer at a lower intensity or you run shorter distances at a higher intensity.

● Making progressions is as simple as running longer at higher intensities and working up to greater paces.

5. Running takes you back to your roots.

Many people will even make the most of their runs by wearing barefoot shoes. If this is your preferred method, ensure that you work into this slowly, as modern shoes have shaped your feet for some time.

● Strengthening your feet to work effectively in a barefoot setting will take time, but the rewards will be drastic.

What if You’re Strength Training?

In the world of strength training, many people are afraid to go running. They fear that, by running, they will lose muscle mass and may forfeit some of their strength.

Does this idea have any validity? In other words, could running really put a damper on your strength returns?

Yes and no.

Running is a type of training that requires the same form of energy that your weight training uses, especially if you’re running at a high intensity or for a very long duration.

So, if you are a strength athlete, you might want to avoid very long distances, as it will put stress on the joints (in excess of your weight training) and it would dissolve some nutrients you need for weight training.

Running for short distances, however, can still provide you with some great benefits.

Looking Forward

So, whether you go to the gym, don’t go to the gym, or you’re strength-training, running can benefit you in many ways.

Give those running shoes a workout! Start running today and reap the rewards.