Spring Walking Tune-Up Week 4: Reset Your Walking Routine

This is part 4 in our Spring Walking Tune-Up series. For a look at the topics we’ll be covering (and to catch up on past posts), be sure to bookmark the series introduction page.

Last week—in Week 3 of our Spring Walking Tune-Up—we talked about rebuilding our base after working through the winter blahs. Walking outside in sub-zero temperatures isn’t always fun—and, during the cold winter months, our regular walking routines may have suffered. Now, though, as the sun comes back out and the temperatures get a little warmer, many of us are ready to get back outside and pick up where we left off—but, as we discussed last week, it’s not always that easy. Our body needs to build that base back gradually to prevent injuries. But restarting a walking routine isn’t just about the physical aspects; the mental aspects are important, too—so, for the rest of our series, we’ll be talking about getting back into the right mindset for refreshing your walking routine.

No matter how much we may want to maintain a regular walking routine, it always that easy. As many of us learned during the winter months, there are so many different things that can get in the way. During the winter, it’s not just the temperatures that change. With the end of Daylight Savings Time comes earlier evenings, which puts a pretty big damper on those after-dinner walks. At the same time, we may be dealing with winter activities for the kids—or our own holiday craziness. And as life gets crazier—and the days get colder and darker—it tends to get harder and harder to find the motivation to get out from under that cozy blanket and get moving.

As you restart your walking routine this spring, here are some tips to make it stick:

Anchor It!

If you want to start a routine and make it a regular part of your day, you can’t just wing it. You may start each day with the best of intentions, but without a plan—without a regular, scheduled time for your walk—you’ll find yourself coming to the end of the day and realizing that you just never found the time. So it’s important to schedule your walks and stick to your schedule.

To make your routines stick, choose a time of day and make it your regular walking time. Maybe a sunrise walk works best for you—or an after-dinner walk with a friend or spouse. Find what fits your schedule, and then go for your walk at the same time every day. Or, if your schedule isn’t the same every day, you can also plan your walk for each day of the week: a sunrise stroll on Monday, a lunchtime walk with a coworker on Tuesday, an after-dinner walk with your spouse on Thursday, a long weekend walk with a friend on Saturday… If you attach your walk to a specific time each day (or each week), it’ll be more likely to become a part of your regular routines.

Stack Your Habits

We all have those things that we do every day at the same time. We get the kids ready for school. We make the coffee. We have lunch. We drive the kids to evening activities. And attaching your daily walks to something else that you already do every day will help to make that new routine stick. Here are some suggestions:

Walk While Brewing: Instead of standing around, waiting for your coffee to brew, get everything set up and schedule it to brew 20 minutes or so in the future. Lace up your shoes and get in a half hour of walking around the neighborhood—or around the office parking lot—and you’ll have a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you when you get back!

Lunchtime Walks: It’s so easy to sit down with your lunch and scroll while eating. Instead, finish your lunch and use your lunch break to go for a walk! The fresh air will do you good—and you’ll feel so much better after walking that you do after doom-scrolling for a half hour.

Walk after Drop-Off: This is my stacked habit of choice. I’m already leaving the house to drop my daughter off at school, so I might as well just keep driving and head to the trail for my morning walk. If the weather isn’t cooperating, I’ll just go home and get right on the treadmill—because it’s just how my morning schedule works now. The two things are connected, and the morning feels wrong if I don’t do both.

After-Dinner Stroll: Walking after a meal is not only helps you with things like digestion and regulating blood sugar; walking after dinner is a great way to unwind at the end of the day. Though it’s not my daily walking time, I often go out for a stroll with my husband after dinner—to get some fresh air and exercise while also chatting about our day.

Schedule It

For most of us, every day is filled with activities—from school drop-off to meetings to appointments to after-school practice. If you want to make your walking routine stick, you need to make walking just like any other appointment. If you’re a scheduler—and you’re always attached to your phone’s calendar app—add your daily walk to your calendar and block off the time. If the time is blocked off on your calendar, you’ll be less likely to fill that time with something else.

If you’re not ready for scheduling a walk every day, start with two or three non-negotiable days each week. Block off that time. And you might find yourself blocking off more days once you settle into your new routine.

Stay Accountable

For some of us, willpower alone can keep us going. Most of us, however, need a little extra accountability to stick with it. For you, maybe that means finding an accountability partner to check in with before or after (or during) each walk. Maybe you walk together—or chat on the phone while walking. Or maybe you just send a quick text to encourage each other.

If you’re more self-motivated, you might want to try printing off a walking tracker. You can keep track of your miles (like I do) or steps or simply the days you walk. I love coloring in the boxes after each walk—and I have it pinned to a bulletin board right in front of my computer, so I can see my progress every day.

Or, if you want to push yourself a little more—or just make it a little more fun—try a walking challenge. You’ll find a number of different options on our challenge menu—and many come with their own tracker, too!

Sometimes, creating (or resetting) a routine takes a little bit of planning and a little bit of strategy. But, with a little bit of thought, you can make a plan—and make it stick!

How are you planning your walking routine? Are you stacking habits or scheduling it for a specific time of day? What time works best for you?