Choose Your Own Walking Adventure
This post is part of our Summer of Simple Walking series. Check out the intro post
for more information and links to other helpful posts.
All summer long, throughout our Summer of Simple Walking series, we’ve been talking about ways to fit our walking routine into our busy summer schedule. We’ve talked about Walking Snacks and motivation and getting our families to join in our walks. We’ve walked every day in June and made July all about the experiences. And now, here we are: in August.
For many of us, August is a strange month—a month that straddles summer and fall. The weather is still hot and sunny, but the leaves are starting to change color. And instead of focusing on summer adventures and vacations, we’re starting to think about back-to-school shopping and class lists. In some places, kids are already back in school. In others, they’ll report for duty at some point during the month—while the lucky ones get to wait until after Labor Day.
August is a month of transitions and changes—so we’re doing something a little different for our walking challenge this month. Instead of giving you one challenge to tackle throughout the month, I’m putting together a collection of mini challenges. So throughout this month of transitions, you can pick the challenge(s) that work best for you.
You can:
– Choose a different challenge each week—whatever works within your current situation.
– Pick your favorite and use it for the whole month.
– Change it up as your life changes throughout the month. Maybe one challenge works well for the first half of the month but another one works better for the second half. Just switch it up!
1) The 10-Minute Challenge
How it works:
Challenge yourself to walk for at least 10 minutes every day.
When to try it:
When life gets crazy. You may not have time for a five-mile walk on your favorite trail, but you can commit to finding 10 minutes in your day to walk around the block—or around the house.
2) The Morning Start Challenge
How it works:
Challenge yourself to walk before starting your day. Before you check your email or your social media feed…before you tackle the day’s to-do list…go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk. It could just be a walk around the block. But it will help you start the day off right—with movement and a little bit of me-time to help ground your day.
When to try it:
When you find yourself getting caught up in the chaos of the day. Maybe it’s while the kids are home for the summer—and you can fit in a walk before they wake up. Or maybe it’s after the school rush starts—and you make a point of getting up a little early for a walk before getting everyone out the door.
3) Coffee & Cardio Challenge
How it works:
Walk every day before your morning coffee.
When to try it:
When you need a little extra motivation. Not only will you be connecting your daily walk to something you already do, but you’ll have have a reward waiting for you after your walk.
You can also step up your challenge a bit by taking one day each week to walk to your favorite coffee shop.
4) Sunset Stroll Challenge
How it works:
Challenge yourself to walk every day after dinner.
When to try it:
August is the perfect time to try this challenge. After-dinner strolls allow you wind down at the end of another busy day with a relaxing walk. You’ll be able to enjoy the sunset while taking advantage of cooler evening temperatures.
5) The Explore Challenge
How it works:
Explore somewhere new each day! This can be as simple as taking a different path through a nearby neighborhood. But you can also explore a new park, a different trail, a botanical garden, or even a farmers market.
When to try it:
When your daily walks are starting to feel too predictable. Walking the same path, seeing the same sights, and greeting the same people day after day can start to feel monotonous. And when you get bored, your motivation starts to drop. Going out and exploring something new will make your walks exciting again.
6) Step Break Challenge
How it works:
Take time out during your day for at least one quick Walking Snack—or more, if you have the time. You can walk while you’re waiting for your kids to finish practice…or between meetings. You can even set an alarm to get up every hour for a quick walk around the house or the office.
When to try it:
This is perfect for when life gets busy—whether you’re working through all of the last-minute back-to-school details or you’re trying to get used to your new school year routines. You may not have the time to go on a five-mile walk every day, but your walks don’t have to happen all at once. Those short walks add up!
7) Gratitude Walks
How it works:
Take time out every day to walk while thinking about the things/people you’re grateful for. You can list three positive things about your day. You can focus on someone you’re thankful for. Or you can think about one thing you’re looking forward to.
When to try it:
When your mental health is struggling. We all have those times when we just need a little extra boost. My friend and I actually take time every night to list three things from our day that we’re grateful for—but taking the time to focus on those things while walking will give you an extra burst of positive energy to get you through another crazy day.
8) Noticing Nature Challenge
How it works:
It’s so easy to zone out while you walk—to take your surroundings for granted or even to pay more attention to your notifications than the nature around you. So challenge yourself to focus on your surroundings and notice something new in nature each day. This could be flowers or butterflies or leaves changing color. It could be birds singing or a deer in the woods. It could be an interesting cloud formation that looks like a duck. Just pay attention—and capture your findings with a daily photo.
When to try it:
When you’re feeling burnt out. Time in nature has some amazing healing properties—for both your mental and physical health. But it’s even more effective if you take the time to appreciate it.
9) No Excuses Challenge
How it works:
Come up with a backup plan for days when a long walk on your favorite trail just isn’t possible. What happens if it rains (or snows)? What will you do if it’s too hot? How will you fit in a walk when your schedule changes or your day gets hectic? Don’t just think about it. Make a list—and try one of these backup plans each day. Maybe that means trying a walk-at-home video from YouTube. Maybe it means walking at the mall or doing laps around the house—or trying out the track at your local rec center. Make sure you have plenty of back-up options!
When to try it:
As you’re preparing for another busy season—or as you’re preparing for another change in weather. Maybe the start of school means more extracurricular activities or a busier schedule. Or maybe you just know that rainy fall days and cold winter mornings are coming. This is the challenge to tackle before things get hectic, so you’ll be ready for days when you need a backup plan.
10) Walking Buddy Challenge
How it works:
Don’t walk alone! Invite a friend, a neighbor, your spouse, or your kid! If all else fails, bring a furry friend.
When to try it:
When the trail starts to feel a little lonely. Walking alone can be great—but sometimes you need a walking buddy. If you find a new friend to walk with every day, you’ll have a list of people to call later, when you just want some company on your walk.
11) Screen-Free Challenge
How it works:
Keep your phone in your pocket! No emails, no social media, and no texting! Playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks are allowed (though silence is better). But no looking at screens while you walk.
When to try it:
When you’re feeling overstimulated. We’ve all had times when the texts and the emails and the notifications are just too much. Keeping your phone in your pocket makes for a great escape. Try it for a week, and you just might end up like me. The days when I actually reply to a message while walking are incredibly rare. That’s my time, and I protect it.
12) Color Hunt Challenge
How it works:
It’s a scavenger hunt for colors! While you’re walking, try to find something in every color of the rainbow. Or pick one color for each day of the week and find as many things as you can that are that color.
When to try it:
When your walks have gotten monotonous and you need to try something new—or when you’ve got a young walking buddy. It’s a fun challenge for kids!
13) Consistency Challenge
How it works:
Just like we did for our Walk Every Day in June Challenge: walk every day. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be long—or far. You just need to walk. Five or ten minutes counts. A walk around the block counts. It all counts.
When to try it:
When life is hectic, and you worry that you won’t be able to keep up your routine. Consistency is key—and if you make walking a habit and fit it into your schedule, you’ll be more likely to stick with it.
14) Walk for Someone Else
How it works:
Choose one person to walk “for” each day. Dedicate your time to focusing on someone you care about. If you’re a praying person, take some time to pray for that person while you walk.
When to try it:
When you need to feel a little more grounded. Making your walk about someone else makes it more meaningful.
15) Finish Strong Challenge
How it works:
Push yourself a little more each day! Add an extra block…or five more minutes…or 500 extra steps.
When to try it:
This is a great way to end any month—to push yourself to do just a little bit more. You’ll head into the new month feeling stronger than ever!
You have so many options for challenging yourself this month—whether you’re racing to get the kids back to school or struggling to transition into new routines or just trying to make it through the end of the summer.
Which challenges are you going to try this month? Are you choosing just one or one each week?
If you need more suggestions (or more explanations and trackers for some of these challenges), visit the Challenges page!
