Spring Walking Tune-Up: Refresh Your Routine

There’s just something about the return of spring that makes everything better.

This time of year, as we look ahead to spring, we start to see the signs. The days are getting longer. The birds are singing again. The temperatures are getting warmer. Maybe you’ll even see some tiny green buds on the trees—or poking out of the ground. And suddenly, after months of gloomy days and freezing temperatures, we’re so ready to get back outside again.

If you’re like me, your walking routine may have gotten a little…blah over the winter. I found myself avoiding the frigid outdoors and hitting the treadmill instead (which then reminded me why we often call it the “dreadmill”).

So, for those of you ready to refresh your walking routine, I’m kicking off our Spring Walking Tune-Up Series!

Think of this as your seasonal reset. Some of the topics we’ll cover over the next six weeks are ones we’ve covered before. But these are things that bear repeating. Nothing here will be big or outrageous or dramatic—just a time to prepare for the new season, so you can walk into spring feeling excited to shed those extra layers and get back outside.

Why a Spring Tune-Up Matters

Unless you live in a place where the seasons are all pretty much the same, you’ve had to make some adjustments to your walking routines over the last several months.

During the winter, we add extra layers, which can sometimes feel heavy and restrictive. We keep an eye on the weather forecasts to gauge when the conditions are acceptable for outdoor walks. On the trail, we often have to watch our feet, dodging patches of snow or ice to keep from falling. Some of us give up and stick with walking on a treadmill (which is also a big change for those used to walking outside).

With all of those adjustments (not to mention the sheer dreariness of winter days), you may have lost a little momentum. Maybe you’re struggling to find that motivation back.

Well…thank goodness for spring!

Spring is the perfect time to reset, refresh, and recommit—to make sure you’ve got the right gear, to rebuild your mileage, to restart your routines. It’s time just to have fun walking again!

This series will help you do all that, one step at a time.

What We’ll Cover in the Series

We’ve got a lot of ground to cover to get ready for a new season of walking! So here’s what’s coming over the next several weeks:

Week 1: Tune Up Your Shoes

I’ll admit that I tend to hang on to walking shoes long past their “best before” date. I mean, walking shoes are expensive, right? But it’s also so important to give your feel the support they need as you’re hitting the trail each day—and that starts with having comfortable, supportive shoes.

During this week, we’ll talk about when to rotate or replace your walking shoes and how to make the transition to a new pair, so you won’t miss a step!

Week 2: Refresh Your Gear

Spring days can be warm and sunny, but they can also be cold or dreary or rainy, too. So, during this unpredictable time of year, you need to be prepared for everything.

During this week, we’ll talk about which spring layers to keep in your walking bag, how to prepare for rainy days, and other gear that will help you through the ups and downs of spring walks.

Week 3: Rebuild Your Base

Maybe your mileage dipped a little over the winter—and that’s totally understandable. Let’s be honest: winter walking isn’t always fun. But if you’re eager to get back to your regular walking routines, you’ll want to take the time to rebuild instead of just jumping back in.

During this week, we’ll talk about safe ways to rebuild your mileage without going overboard and ending up in recovery mode.

Week 4: Reset Your Routine

There are seasons when you’ll “fall off the wagon.” You may struggle to keep up your walking routing when the kids are home for the summer—or when the winter weather gets to be unbearable. It doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you—or that you’ll never be able to make walking a regular routine. It just means that you’ve had a setback, and you need to hit the Reset button. And spring is a great time for just that.

During this week, we’ll talk about creating a routine that you’ll be able to stick with—and staying accountable and celebrating your wins.

Week 5: Refresh Your Routes

Maybe you’ve gotten stuck in a rut with the same old route. Maybe the thought of going back to the same trail again, day after day after day, doesn’t make you jump out of bed in the morning. That could mean that your route needs a refresh, right along with your gear.

During this week, we’ll be talking about ways to make old routes feel new again, as well as places to look for new inspiration.

Week 6: Tune Up Your Motivation

A lot of factors go into building a regular routine. You need the right gear and a good place to walk, but you also need a little motivation to keep it up!

During this week, we’ll be talking about setting goals, tracking your progress, and celebrating the little things.

It’s Not About Perfection

None of us is perfect—and even if you’ve been walking every day for years, you’ll still have your good seasons and your not-so-good seasons.

During this series, we’re not about pushing perfection. It’s not about getting 20,000 steps a day. It’s not about reinventing the wheel—or reinventing yourself. You don’t even need to be training for something big (though you absolutely can be training for something big, if you feel like it).

What’s it about?

It’s about feeling strong.

It’s about feeling consistent.

It’s about feeling excited to get up and get moving again.

And it’s about making the small adjustments that will change the way you feel about your walking routine.

Want to Follow Along?

Be sure to bookmark this page! I’ll be keeping it up-to-date with links to weekly posts, so you’ll be able to find the whole series in one place.

Before we get started, let us know what you’d like to improve this spring! Would you like to build your mileage or your time walking? Would you like to be more consistent? Or are you just getting started with a new routine?

Let’s get ready to tune things up together!