Yvonne Glasgow
If you love walking, but your routine has gotten stale, here are some ways you can spice it up!
Walk with Friends
Rather than walking alone, use your outdoor strolling time to catch up with friends. You can meet at the park and walk together or use earbuds and chat while you both walk. This is a great way to share fitness time with friends who live far away.
Walks are also a wonderful time to catch up with your kids or spouse. Walk, chat, and spend some time bonding.
Listen to Something Different
Listening to the same songs over and over again can dull your momentum when you’re walking. Try spicing things up with an all-new playlist to step to. Add songs that are energetic and inspire you to walk faster.
If you need a break from music, listen to a podcast or an audiobook.
Alter Your Route
Try a different route. Or, you can walk the same path in the opposite direction. You’d be surprised how different a familiar route can feel when you walk it in reverse!
Consider lengthening your usual route. Add another mile if you’ve been walking the same path for a while. Even an extra block can make a difference in your health and mood.
Plus, you’ll get to see some new sights and add a few more steps.
Walk Somewhere New
If you’re completely bored with your usual route or just want to change things up for a day, walk somewhere new. If you usually walk near your home, hop in the car and go to a park. If you’re a park walker, pick a different park (same if you’re a mall walker).
Whether it’s a warm day or cool evening, visit the beach and walk in the sand. It’s a new view, and it’ll give your legs an extra workout.
Take a Walking Tour
Yes, walking tours are a thing! Close to Halloween, some towns offer guided walks of haunted locations. Some cemeteries even do haunted walks with actors playing the roles of those who are buried there.
If you live in an area with many historic homes, you might be able to find walking tours that highlight the cool history of the city, old neighborhoods, and more. Many nature preserves and museums also offer guided tours.
You’ll get to see new sights and learn new things, all while getting in some extra steps for the day. To get started, just search online for any walks or tours in your area.
Sign Up for a Walking Event
Find a marathon that allows walkers and sign up. For example, there’s a bridge walk in Michigan from one side of the Mackinac Bridge to the other.
It isn’t about winning a prize—it’s about finding new ways to enjoy exercising.
Visit a Maze or Labyrinth
During the autumn, corn mazes, or even haunted fields offer a unique way to get outside and take a walk. These aren’t usually free, but they’re still a great way to change things up.
You might be able to find labyrinths that are open year-round, though. Labyrinths aren’t always comprised of tall hedges, but they all give you a path to follow. As you add steps, you can also meditate on the joys of nature and tranquility.
Walk at a Different Time
You don’t have to change your usual route to enjoy walking again. If you usually walk at night, try heading out in the morning, instead. You might find hearing the birds sing and watching the bunnies frolic is just what you needed.
If you’re a morning walker, try walking at dusk. You’ll be able to catch the sunset and meet all the creatures that stir in the evening.
Become a Dog Walker
Even if you enjoy the peace and quiet of walking alone, you can still take a partner—your dog! Don’t have one? Ask a friend or neighbor if you can walk their dog.
If you like dogs and have the energy for it, you can even turn this into a career. Getting paid to walk is pretty good motivation to get in those extra steps every day!
You don’t have to walk the same boring path every day. There are so many ways to change things up, you can walk somewhere different every day (or feel like you are).
