W is for Walking

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

01 Aug 2007 07:36 AM

I've been looking forward to getting to W for a while now. Walking is one of my favorite activities. If I had an elliptical trainer that would likely be my favorite piece of equipment. Yet no matter what I do, I always come back to walking. Walking is an easy activity that anyone at any level of fitness can do and do well. Walking may also seem pretty dull, but there is plenty you can do to jazz up your walking routines.

• Let the Dog Wag You - chances are if you have a dog, you take him or her for a walk every day. Try jazzing up your walk routine by letting your dog set the pace for a change. Dogs can move at a good clip, trotting along or straining at the leash, letting your dog control the pace every few minutes can really lead to an intense walking experience
• Use landmarks to set your goals - walk fifteen houses today, make it twenty houses tomorrow and maybe thirty houses next week
• Get Curious and Go Exploring - Be confident that you are in a safe neighborhood and always keep safety in mind, but sometimes varying your route can spur you to walk further and over more uneven ground
• Compete with Fellow Walkers - Do others share your walking path? Consider targeting the one a few yards ahead of you and outpacing them
• Want To Go Out For Coffee? Consider hooking up with a friend and walking to the coffee shop rather than driving
• Park it - Drive your car to a local park and hoof it from one side of the park to the other or park near a favored shopping area and hoof the block or two to get your shopping done

So whether you walk for pleasure or for sport - there's lots of ways to jazz your walking up.

Related Articles:

Indoor Workouts

How Many Calories Do You Burn While Walking

Lifestyle Walking - Make It Work For You

The Four Kinds of Walking

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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