Walking for Exercise Can Be Fun

To me thinking about my New Years resolution to exercise conjures up images of jumping around in an aerobics class where everyone dons expensive exercise wear. I thought about all the unused athletic equipment that gathers dust in my home like the treadmill that now serves as a cloths rack. I have to admit I never thought of exercise as a source of fun. To me it was a source of drudgery that I dreaded.

I knew this was an unhealthy point of view so I started to ask myself why does exercise have to be e a source of drudgery, expensive, or dull? In fact, why does exercise even have to be conventional? I thought some more and came to the knowledge that I personally preferred a walking workout to other forms of exercise because it can be quite versatile and unconventional. It can be quiet and meditative or social, it's inexpensive, you can vary your workout in many ways, and it can be adapted to exercise in a cardio and weight bearing way. Here are just a few ways to vary your walking workout

You can try carrying an Ipod or a personal CD player during your walking workout with you to pass the time. I know of some people who borrow books on CD from the local library to listen to during their walking workout. The trick is to only listen to these books during your walking workout so that if you want to find out what happens next in the story, you'll have to get moving. Your walking workout can exercise your brain as well as your body this way. You can also use your Ipod or personal CD player to play some of your favorite music for you during your walking workout. Music can be a great motivator making all the difference in your walking workout; encouraging you to work harder than you thought you could.

If walking and listening to audio books or music doesn't turn you on, maybe you are more of a social person. Why don't you ask some of your friends that need to exercise too if they'd like to form some sort of walking workout club? If you socialize during your walking workout, you may not think of it as exercise.

OK the weather is bad outside. Who wants to do their walking workout in inclement weather? Have you thought of doing your walking workout in the mall? If you have a mall near you, it's usually free and you can make new friends because this type of exercise is growing in popularity. In fact some malls encourage mall walking and help form mall walking clubs. The trick to a walking workout in the mall is to choose earlier morning hours so that you don't have to constantly walk around the shoppers and they don't have to dodge you.

Do you have a treadmill that goes unused because the exercise is so dull? Walking, walking, walking, and still not getting anywhere? Why not try watching movies during your walking workout? Just set up your treadmill where there's a television set and a DVD player or a VCR and start moving. If the movie you're watching is an especially active one, you may find that it will encourage you to move faster and work harder during your walking workout.

The nice thing about a walking workout is that it can be adjusted to whatever your fitness level is. Are you a beginner? Just walk at a pace that is mildly challenging. Are you a more experienced walker whose walking workout feels a little too easy? Pick up the pace, or carry hand weights with you to increase your heart rate and tone your arms. If a walking workout gets too easy there are always ways to make it more challenging.

Do you feel you have very little time to exercise? You too can have walking workout with just a few small changes. Have you tried taking the steps instead of the elevator? Do you really need to park at the closest parking spot you find at the mall? You can get in a walking workout every day just by increasing how many steps you take per day. A pedometer can be bought for very little money, if you wear it throughout the day, you can keep track how much more you're walking per day. You'd be surprised how these additional steps add up. At the end of the day, you could be walking as much as a person who sets aside time for a walking workout everyday.

Are you a spiritual person? Do you feel that you also have trouble making time for prayer and reflection every day? Have you ever thought of having prayer time while you are exercising. You'll feel so much more at peace at the end of your walking workout when you've made time for yourself spiritually and physically.

These are just a few of the ways that a walking workout can be varied. Just keep in mind that your walking workout does not have to be like everyone else's. The key is to find a way for your walking workout to blend with what works best for you and your lifestyle.