exercise series #2 // walking

Salvete!

Welcome back to my exercise series, where I discuss the different types of exercise I love and document my favorite resources and videos. Please read my introduction post about this series if you have not already! I am not an expert; this series is mainly a personal journal, rather than an informational series or advice for everyone else. (the intro post also includes a helpful list of all the series posts so far:)

Today we are discussing walking! Although this may not be considered exercise by some, by the definition I discussed in the intro post, it definitely does! It is a way to move your body to become stronger and healthier. I love walks and I want to discuss what the benefits are and how you can make them interesting.

What is walking?

This seems like a silly question: everyone knows what walking is. I just want to talk about what type of exercise walking is and why it is exercise. Walking from your living room to your dining room is not really exercise, its just daily necessary movement. But taking a five minute walk during the day to get a break from work or school is. Any intentional walk, from 5 minutes to 2 hours, is an aerobic exercise. It is also sometimes known as cardio.

READ MORE: Aerobic Exercise

Who is walking for?

Everybody! Walking really is for nearly everyone, and is a great way to get some exercise without high impact or exertion.

What are the benefits of walking?

While walking may bring the benefits of aerobic exercise, as I said above, for me the biggest benefits of walking are the happiness and joy it brings. Even a short walk outside in the beautiful weather makes me more motivated and less anxious. There are many articles and resources you can read to explain the health benefits, but in my opinion the best way is to try it for yourself! Take at least a 5 minute walk 5 days a week, or an hour walk 3 times a week, or whatever you desire!

READ MORE: 5 mental health benefits of walking

Suggestions and ideas:

There’s not much else to say about the science of walking, or the benefits of walking, because it’s quite simple, but I do want to share some ideas of different ways you can make your walk interesting.

Family walk

Take a walk with your family! This makes everyone spend time with each other and talk to each other. Our family often takes walks after supper.

Between school subjects

Picking some sort of exercise to do between school subjects is an awesome way to get a short break and get moving. This suggestion is best for if you are homeschooled or doing virtual school, but you can always use this on the weekends while doing homework or even just during other activities. I used to do 10 pushups between every subject, which is something I’d love to get back into. Some ideas for including walking in between subjects are a five minute walk around the house after each subject or a 1 mile walk halfway through all subjects. You could also do a 30 second sprint.

Music

Listening to music while walking is often very calming. I don’t do it often because I like to hear the noises of the outdoors, but on a treadmill I definitely will. Pick any playlist or album you’d like (I’d probably choose folk and acoustic). Here are some songs I might pick:

1. “Pictures of Mountains” by Cody Fry
2. “Fields of Gold” by Drew and Ellie Holcomb
3. “May It Be” by Enya
4. “Misty Mountains” by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast
5. “Morning Light” by the Gray Havens
6. “Old Kentucky Sun” by Sarah Sparks and Kenny Komatsu

And there you have it! I hope you can find some simple ways to include walking in your life. Have a blessed day, all!

What is your favorite type of walk?