Lacing up our sneakers for a daily walk has been our routine for the past year. We’re creatures of habit, which is why our daily walk for exercise has gone stale. We’re bored! So we asked MYX Coaches Dyan and Donna to help us reinvent our walk just in time for spring’s nicer weather. Follow their great ideas on how you can get all the benefits of walking every day while MYXing it up.
Physical and mental benefits of walking
The physical and mental health benefits of walking are well documented. We know it reduces the risk of chronic disease, diabetes, and stroke. It also lowers your blood pressure. We’re even more creative thinkers while moving instead of sitting.
As Coach Donna points out, “Walking offers mental health benefits as a coping mechanism to deal with daily stress. When you’re Zoomed out, taking a walk can clear your mind and improve your mood.”
Donna flips the way she thinks about her walk by practicing awareness. “Stop along the way and really look at a tree, the sky, or anything. Hold that moment of seeing a beat longer than you normally would. Let yourself absorb it visually, take a deep breath, and listen. When you do that, your walk becomes a healing and sensory experience,” she says.
Walking as exercise
If you see your daily walk in more physical terms, you can reap the benefits of walking every day by following Coach Dyan’s advice. To keep it fresh, Dyan says, “Change your direction by going right instead of left if you follow a routine path. Or find a different park or trail to hike or walk. A short drive to a new spot makes a big difference.”
She also keeps her walking routine fresh with podcasts. “It makes me feel smarter to learn as I walk. Right now, I’m listening to Natalia Petrzela’s great podcasts. The amazing stories motivate me to keep walking so I hear the full episodes,” Dyan says.
Step up for your health
Whether walking is your mental health self-care or you walk for exercise, celebrate spring by changing it up. Add friendly interval challenges to speed-walk or sprint to nearby objects. Listen to an upbeat playlist or intriguing podcast as you explore a new path. Ditch the phone for a short digital detox to practice awareness. Whichever style is yours, it’s time to reinvent your daily walk.
