10 Reasons to Start Your Walking Routine This Fall

For those of us who live in areas where we get to experience all four seasons, each time of year brings new adventures and challenges.  In the years that I’ve been walking regularly, I’ve tackled all of them—from long walks on sweltering summer afternoons to beautiful but allergy-stricken spring strolls to winter morning walks in freezing temperatures.  But there’s one time of year when the pros seem to outweigh the cons: fall. 

This fall marks five years since I started my regular walking routine.  There are a number of reasons why I started in the fall—the biggest being that my daughter had just gone back to school, and I had a little extra time after she got on the bus in the morning.    But there are so many great reasons why fall is the perfect time to start a walking routine. 

Here are my top 10:

The Kids Are Back in School

If you’ve got school-age kids, summer is…bananas.  Here, it’s a blur of camps and traveling and sports and adventures and fun with friends.  I feel like I spend three months texting my daughter’s friends’ moms.  This is not really the time to try to start a new walking routine—because who knows what your day looks like tomorrow (or even an hour from now).

Once the school year starts, it may be a different kind of crazy—especially if your kid is involved in extra-curricular activities, like mine.  But at least there’s more of a rhythm to it.  You know when the kids will be in school.  You know when you’ll have time in the evening—or on the weekend—and you can plan accordingly.  And, depending on your own schedule, those school hours may give you more opportunities to get out for a walk.  So while you’re already making a change in your daily and weekly routines, it’s the perfect time to add a daily walk to your schedule.

The Trails Aren’t As Crowded During the Day

Another nice side effect of the kids being back in school is that they won’t be on the trail.  During the summer, the parks and trails can get crowded—because those are some of the most popular places to take kids and let them run our all of their energy for a while.  Once the kids are back in school, you might see some moms with strollers, but the crowds tend to dissipate.  So if you’ve got time in the morning—or over your lunch break—you’re less likely to end up on a crowded trail.

The Weather Is Perfect

Okay…maybe you like sweating to death in the summer…or battling frostbite in the winter.  But, personally, I believe that fall weather is the best weather for walking.  After months of hot summer days, the crispness in the air feels like such a relief.  You can throw on your favorite leggings and a short-sleeve tech shirt—and maybe add a light layer—and you’re good to go.

It’s Leggings Season!

Fall weather is leggings weather!  In case you haven’t noticed, I loooove my leggings.  I’ve been picking up fun new prints and patterns all summer, just waiting for the time when the temperatures drop enough for me to hit the trail in my dragon scales…or my colorful stars…or my wild kaleidoscope print…or my skulls.  And now’s the time for me to pack away my shorts and rotate through all of my fun new looks.  Just like wearing new shoes makes some people feel faster, wearing new leggings just brings so much joy to my daily walks.

Gear Is on Sale

When you’re starting a new walking routine, you might want to stock up on some gear, too (like my top 4 essentials: http://willwalkforcoffee.com/2024/08/06/essential-walking-gear-the-top-4-items-for-beginners/).  And fall is a great time to find some great deals on last season’s shoes or shirts or other gear.  Do some searching (and comparison shopping) online—or hit the clearance rack at places like Sierra to get some great deals.

There Are Still Plenty of Daylight Hours

The days may be getting shorter, but you’ve still got plenty of time before the days get super short.  My friend Kristin and I often walk in the evening during the fall, and at this time of year, we can still walk for a while without having to haul out the headlamps.  You can easily fit in an after-dinner walk with your family or a friend—or an earlier morning stroll—without worrying about walking in the dark. 

The Scenery

We’re entering into that time of year where you’ll see me posting a whole lot of pictures of fall leaves.  I love going on walks in the woods when the leaves are changing colors—because it’s just so beautiful.  Every day, I’m in awe of the colors—and I can’t help but take tons of pictures.

The Smell of Fall

You can smell it, too, right?  There’s just nothing like that crisp smell of fall—of cooler air and falling leaves.  And when you walk outside, you can breathe it all in.  Fresh air is always good for the soul—but I think fresh fall air is even better than any other kind of fresh air.

Your Friends Will Be Happy to Join You

All of the factors above mean that not only is this time of year a great time for you to start walking, but it’s also a good time of year for your friends to start walking, too!  Whether they’re ready to start a regular walking routine of their own or they’re just excited to get out for some fresh air and exercise from time to time, the more friends who are willing and able to walk with you, the more excited you’ll be to get out and walk, too!  It’s always good to have a few walking buddies to inspire you to walk more—and when the weather is this beautiful, it’s not hard to find plenty of friends who will help keep you motivated.

You’ll Be Hooked before Winter Hits

It’s been said that it takes 21 days to build a new habit.  People on the internet have spent a lot of time fighting over what that number actually is—but what matters is that the longer you keep something up, the more likely it is to become a part of your regular routine.  So let’s say you get out for a walk tomorrow morning to enjoy the beautiful weather.  Then you do it again the next day—and take in all of the gorgeous colors on the trees.  Then, the next day, you take a friend with you for a nice long chat while enjoying the crisp fall air.  The more you continue to enjoy those fall morning/lunchtime/evening walks, the more you’ll come to look forward to them.  And, before long, you’ll be walking every day, enjoying all that fall has to offer.  Then, when the temperatures start to drop and winter weather makes it a little more of a challenge to get out there every day, you’ll be so set on your daily walks that it won’t deter you from walking; you’ll just find ways to make it work. 

There are so many great reasons to get out there and start walking this fall!  You don’t have to start with a 10-mile walk.  Just start small.  Set aside a few extra minutes each day to get outside and enjoy the fresh fall air—and keep building up as you get stronger.  In no time, you’ll be looking forward to getting your steps in every day! 

Who’s starting a new walking routine this fall?  Let us know, so we can cheer you on!