THE MORNING WALK
I set a new challenge for myself to walk everyday in the mornings, first thing when I wake up.
Why this challenge?
I read an article that explained that people in Japan do not experience obesity as they do in the United States because walking is incorporated into their daily activities. They walk to work, the grocery store, to get food at restaurants, etc. It is an activity that they adopted into their life and research believes it is the reason for Japanese longevity.
I have tried many different forms of cardio, including Insanity (which you can read about here), but the workouts were not something I could do long term. I want to come up with a cardio workout that I can do every day that can still provide long-term health benefits. Walking is the cardio workout that may help me with my goals.
Before you begin
This challenge will work best if you block out time each day to walk. Because walking is not the most fun form of cardio, I will listen to audiobooks while walking which will allow me to learn new information while performing cardio.
The Challenge
There is not much to this challenge as it just requires a daily routine. The plan is to wake up and walk for around 30 minutes each morning. I tested out the morning walk in my neighborhood prior to starting this challenge, and it takes roughly 30 minutes to complete one lap.
The difficult part of this challenge is waking up early enough to actually get my 30 minutes of walking in. I have decided that I will wake up at 8:00am and the first thing I will do is drink a glass of water since I am doing cardio after all (even if it is not strenuous). Then, I will go for my 30-minute walk around the block while listening to an audiobook. The pace at which I walk will be around 15–18 minutes per mile which I can track using my Apple Watch.
I will be using OneDrive, an app that comes free with my local library and allows me to checkout audiobooks available in the library database for free. However, you can use any audiobook app that you would like if you decided to do this challenge. You can also change the time that you spend walking, the pace at which you walk, and the time of day so that it fits your schedule and goals.
My Thoughts after Completing the Challenge
This was probably one of the best challenges I decided to do this year. The weather was really great for almost all of the days this month which allowed me to walk in the morning each day without any issues. I missed a total of three days during this challenge due to weather but made up for it by taking extra long walks on other days. The morning walk helped me jump start my day feeling awake and active.
I felt an increase in energy levels while at work by just walking in the morning. I felt that my brain could process information in the morning a lot better than it previously could. I lost weight — around 8 lbs — from these morning walks as well (I am also controlling my diet and working out 3 times a week).
The greatest outcome for me from this challenge was actually not from the morning walk itself, but the audiobooks that I would listen to while walking. I ended up switching between podcasts and audiobooks and loved that I was learning new things first thing in the morning. This also allowed me to come up with great ideas that can help me in both my professional and personal life.
Moving Forward
I will definitely be incorporating the routine I built up from this months challenge into my daily routine. I really enjoyed the benefits of this challenge and felt that it definitely improved my wellness.
Since the weather where I live will not always be as great as it was this month, I plan on substituting the morning walk for a home workout so I do not lose the momentum. I know first hand that stopping a routine is super easy, but continuing one is the biggest challenge and the most important.
This is an easy routine that can add a lot of value to your life and I highly recommend you try it.
