something so simple...

people have plenty of reasons why "going on a walk" isn't a priority. they don't have time, or they don't feel like it, or they don't have anywhere to walk. it's honestly something you can work into your life in small steps. you can walk almost anywhere really, and we always have taken into consideration the fact that we can walk. imagine if you couldn't. if you lost your ability to walk - taking a walk would be something you would only dream of doing. krissie dislocated her knee over the summer and literally could not walk for 3 months. she couldn't get groceries, clean her apartment, drive a car, take dance class. it was only temporary, but it really put into major perspective how hard life could be if you lost the privilege to walk. we feel like it's such a healthy way to clear your mind, be outside in fresh air, and it's even something you can do to bond with friends!

the health benefits of taking a walk

you don't have to get a personal trainer, or work out twice a day to get a little bit healthier. you can simply make "taking a walk" a regular part of your life and improve your health greatly. the following are some of the awesome things walking does for you:

• boosts your metabolism
• walking outside increases your oxygen intake - and oxygen is healthy
• lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes
• lowers your risk of stroke
• lowers your risk of heart disease
• lowers your risk of cancer
• reduces the chances of sleep apnea
• strengthens bones and reduces the chances of osteoarthritis
• balances blood pressure
• lowers the risk of needing gallstone surgery
• tones muscles
• reduces stress
• improves your mood
• increases mobility and energy

how do i get motivated?

start small

try committing to taking 1 walk a week for ten minutes. then try 2 walks a week for ten minutes. then 3 walks a week. then, increase your walks to 20 minutes. really, if you walked 3 times a week for 20 minutes, you could change your life!

get a walking buddy

if you have a friend - or friends who want to start walking with you, it's a great idea. you will keep each other motivated, and when you walk with someone, ten or twenty minutes will fly by, and before you know it, half hour walks with your friends will become "girl time".

walk somewhere pretty

we don't walk to "lose weight". we walk for the full range of benefits. especially the emotional ones! sometimes we walk together to have a fun walk, or we walk alone to clear our heads and find a sense of peace. if you walk somewhere beautiful, you can take in nature, and the fresh air, and look at the sky. you'd be surprised how much it can center you. but always be safe. if you walk somewhere alone, make sure there are plenty of other people around, and take your cell phone and pepper spray if you can. not to be negative - just to be safe :D.

if you don't have time

we know this is hard, but try waking up 20 minutes earlier to take a 10 minute walk twice a week, or just try it on weekends. if you make small commitments, it wont seem so daunting, and it will be something you may eventually be excited to do instead of forcing yourself :D.

where to walk

like we said, always be safe. walk with a friend if you can, but if you walk alone, walk only in daylight, take your cell phone, take pepper spray, and only go where there are a lot of other people.

• walk around your neighborhood.
• walk around your friend's neighborhood.
• find a public walking trail.
• go down to a local high school track after school is out and when there are no sports teams using the track. call the high school and find out when their public hours are.
• find a public sports field, like a soccer field, or softball field and walk the perimeter.
• wherever you walk, just check it out ahead of time, be safe, and pick somewhere pretty if you can.

little ways to get extra steps

if you don't have time to go on a walk, there are also little ways throughout the day that you can get extra steps. here are some of our favorites...

• take the stairs.
• walk to get your mail instead of driving to your mailbox if it's far - like in an apartment complex.
• take your shopping cart back! haha this one is kind of just being decent to other people who need to park too. is it really that far to walk?
• park farther away. instead of driving around for forever to find the closest spot ever, park wherever is open and get some walking in :D!
• if you have stairs in your apartment or house, walk up and down them a few times a day just for the heck of it.
• if you work at a computer - and are allowed to do this, get up and walk around at least once an hour.
• pick a half hour of a TV show you watch, and march in place for that half hour - you'll feel goofy - but who cares!
• if you live close to a market, or a Starbucks, or have restaurants nearby to eat at on your lunch break at work, then try walking once in a while :D.

things you need

that's the best part about walking... it's free! it also doesn't take a lot to do it...

• water. even though, you wont be breaking a sweat all the time, or "working out", stay hydrated. get a cute refillable water bottle and fill it up!
• comfy clothes. we love just chill clothes like t-shirts, capri sweats, sports bras, hoodies, leggings, gym shorts, and in the winter, sweats with our big jackets to stay warm and dry :D.
• cute walking shoes »