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Personally, I don’t find too much in my life that can’t be made better, improved or fixed with a walk, especially one taken outside. Vitamin D, fresh air? What could be better? It’s good for people of all ages, groups and couples. It’s a great date idea and the perfect way to catch up with a friend (even better if you both have coffees in hand!).
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I have been walking for years, but for 2025, one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to ensure that I walk at least 10k steps per day. I had gotten a little lax toward the end of 2024 (though not too shabby, I ended the year with over 700 miles of walking under my belt, and that doesn’t include incidental steps here and there - that was 700 miles of dedicated “walking time” as logged on my watch), so I decided to revamp and reinvigorate for 2025. In case you’re interested in doing it alongside me, I thought I’d share some of my tips for making it happen.
Some of these hacks involve spending money. If you ask me, that makes sense. It’s an investment in your long term health. Here are just a few facts about walking and how good it is for you:
“Walking for 2.5 hours a week—that’s just 21 minutes a day—can cut your risk of heart disease by 30%. In addition, this do-anywhere, no-equipment-required activity has also been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and keep you mentally sharp. In fact, according to some estimates, walking regularly could save Americans over $100 billion a year in health care costs. Even a quick one-minute jaunt pays off .” -Harvard Health
“Women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week.” -Harvard Health
“Walking improves mental well-being; physically active people have a 30% reduced risk of becoming depressed.” -Mind
Track. You can’t change what you don’t measure. I’ve worn a fitness tracker ever since I did PR for the amazing BodyMedia (since been acquired by Jawbone, but this was a super cool brand - used by Jillian Michaels and the contestants on The Biggest Loser!). I’ve tried everything from Fitbit to Apple Watch, but my current favorite is the Garmin. I’ll do a full review at some point, but this little guy helps me get all my steps in every day (currently on a 25-day streak thanks to my renewed resolve from New Year’s Resolutions!), but it also does a great job assisting me in stress management and sleep improvement. But, I digress. Back to steps. I have an alarm set to go off throughout the day if I haven’t met my 10k daily step goal. It might be dumb, but seeing that I’m low on my count makes me want to get up and walk around, which I know is better than sitting NONSTOP all day long. It also motivates me to pull out my walking pad and get a few extra steps in for meetings where I don’t have to take notes.
Buy: Garmin Venu 2 on Amazon ($279) Buy: Walking Pad on Amazon ($119)
Involve everyone that you can. One of my main motivations for making sure I get in a decent walk every day has four legs, tons of curly hair and a black, wet nose. My pup, Waylon!
I know that if I do not take him for at least two miles outside every day, he’s going to be a completely zany menace that evening. I also feel a strong obligation to enrich his life with new things to smell as we traipse along a trail or around the neighborhood. Even if it’s frigid or raining (like it was in the above picture, hence our wet, stringy hair), I force myself outside for his sake.
I also schedule walks with friends to socialize AND get steps in. I’m so lucky to have so many friends who also love to walk, but these are some of the best conversations I have with my besties.
In this theme, when my kids are home from school, I always take them along. Trust me when I tell you that establishing this habit when they were younger was borderline painful, but now, at ages 10 and seven, they are quite companionable on our walks. They scooter, run, bike, hoverboard or walk alongside me. We listen to music, podcasts, stories or just chat about whatever is on our minds. Sometimes we bring a ball to throw for Waylon as we walk or sometimes we’re walking multiple pooches as part of our Rover side hustle. I’m planning a separate post about how to get kids to walk/hike long distances by starting ‘em young, so if this is a topic you’re interested in but not sure how to start, keep an eye out for that (and check out my TikTok on our annual Christmas Eve hike!). But for today’s purposes, suffice it to say that having them as willing participants for this activity means it is a LOT more likely to happen. Many days, they are ready to go and pull ME out the door. Talk about motivation! Not to mention, I can never use the excuse “My kids are off school today.” to skip a walk.
Find something good to listen to. Tbh, I look forward to my walks, because it’s the only time I get to listen to my podcasts uninterrupted. Sometimes, to switch it up, I’ll do an outdoor walk workout from Peloton - they have great themed music walks that cue speed changes and motivate the heck out of me. Sometimes, I listen to an audiobook from Libby (especially if I need to get one done for book club and I’m short on free time that month). But whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you look forward to! That will make you want to get going on the walk AND keep going to get a few more steps. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been “done” with my route, but gone around again or extended the walk just so I could hear the very last tip from the expert on Mel Robbins’ show.
Invest in the clothing staples you need to make the walk comfortable, fun and motivational.
For me, that means starting with amazing shoes. I ALWAYS buy the “Made in the USA” New Balance for my daily walks. They last forever and support my weird ass feet flawlessly. I have wide feet, high arches and tend to walk on the outside edges of my feet. These. WORK.
Depending on the weather, I also need one of the following: shorts, leggings, sweatpants. I want bottoms that stay in place without needing to be pulled up, down or out. My very favorite leggings for walking are from Old Navy because they are an amazing price, comfortable AND have pockets to stash my phone. My favorite sweatpants for walking are from Champion and I’m less picky about shorts, but I love Old Navy, Athleta and Gap for these.
My top layer depends completely on the weather. If it’s chilly, I’ll pair a 32 degrees long sleeve base layer with my North Face jacket, a hat, mittens and a scarf. If it’s slightly less chilly, I’ll wear a tee shirt and my Patagonia R1 jacket. In the spring and summer months, I wear long sleeve tees, short sleeve tees or tank tops (can easily just transition to leave for a walk after my workout in this kind of weather!).
These are some staples that get a lot of use in my closet, but BUY WHAT YOU WILL WEAR. If you are comfortable while walking and don’t get too hot or cold, you’ll be a lot more likely to go for your walks. Even if it means a bit of an upfront investment, you will have your cost per wear down to pennies in no time flat if you wear them every day for walking.
Buy: New Balance Made in the USA Sneakers, $199.99 Buy: Old Navy Leggings, $20
No walk is too short. Sometimes I think … it’s not worth it to go for a walk - I can’t do my full route. NOT. TRUE. Every little bit counts and this goes back to your tracker. It’s better to take a short break in between meetings and go down the street and back (this can rack up 1000 steps for me - 1/10 of my daily goal!) than to sit on my bum and not move. If you can’t get out of your “all or nothing” mentality, wear a tracker to prove to yourself how much little chunks of time throughout the day can move the needle. You can also use this tip to fit in walks at weird times - like while you’re waiting for a child to be done with a 30 minute lesson or if you get to carpool early!
Put it on your calendar. I block out an hour each day for walking and I put it on my calendar so I don’t book anything else during that time. I make it a little later in the morning during the winter, giving the temps a chance to warm up, but I move it earlier in the summer, getting it done before it has a chance to become too hot outside. This time is non-negotiable, like brushing my teeth or showering. It becomes a habit that you cannot let go of, no matter how hard you try. It’s gotten to the point in my life that I walk wherever I am and truly enjoy getting those steps in no matter where I am - even if it’s on a beach vacation with my family.
Remember that it’s a source of energy. There are days when I don't sleep well or I’m sore from a strength workout or maybe I’m a bit under the weather - and I contemplate skipping my walk. But then I remember that BOTH of those situations can be improved by a walk. My pace might not be as aggressive and I might not go as far, but it ALWAYS makes me feel better to take in some nature, walk around and get the blood moving. Rotting on the couch is amazing, and I do have “those days” to recover, but I always throw a walk in as well, because it’s the best form of recovery for my body, soul, mind and spirits.
Throw in the occasional dance party. Small known fact, but dancing actually accounts for a lot of my steps. I’m currently choreographing a number for my daughter’s school talent show and I know I’ll be getting in at least 2k steps during each rehearsal as I demo the steps and do them alongside the kids. Throw on some Lady Gaga, Ke$ha … or whatever YOU like and dance for a couple of songs. It’ll bump up your step count quickly.
Add it in between sets while you lift weights. This one is a bit more niche, because hey, maybe you don’t lift weights. But if you do, taking an emotional lap (term coined by Adrian Williams of Peloton) in between tough sets can be a great way to flush your muscles out in real time AND grab a few extra steps for your daily total. I’ve gotten to the point where I start out my post-workout walk with 3k steps already in the bank because I marched it out a bit while I was waiting for my next set of reps.
Create a few inefficiencies in your household chores. I’m all for making housework quick and easy. But sometimes when I’m cleaning the stove or doing laundry, I build in a few more laps around the counter or rinse out my sponge a few extra times because I know I’ll get credit for it on my step tracker. This might seem a bit like “cheating” but I’ve heard enough podcast episodes about NEAT (read the nerdy stuff about it here) to know that it’s actually great for keeping your body’s systems/metabolism revving instead of finishing the kitchen cleaning five minutes earlier and sitting on the couch.
Stop asking people to grab you things. I used to be the queen of asking my husband to refill my Stanley Cup. He would groan because it takes about five minutes to restock my 40 oz cup, but now, I just take the opportunity to get 50 more steps from the couch to the kitchen and back again to fill my own cup. Rinse and repeat as needed for the remote, coffee refills and whatever else you used to have delivered to you on the couch by your significant other and/or children.
Gamify! In addition to the step tracker, add in little mini games throughout the day. If I’m watching a show on TV, I challenge myself to walk around the house during the commercials or if I’m reading a book, I say I’ll take 500 steps in between each chapter. Find fun ways to fit it into whatever you’re doing. 500 steps takes 2 minutes, but if you do that ten times throughout the day, that’s 5k steps you didn’t have logged before!
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