{"id":30381,"date":"2022-05-19T17:07:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T00:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000026735"},"modified":"2022-05-20T13:02:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T20:02:21","slug":"reach-your-daily-step-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/reach-your-daily-step-goals","title":{"rendered":"Reach your daily step goals with these 5 walking routines"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends<\/a> that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week to maintain optimal health\u2014and walking is a wonderful way to rack up those minutes!<\/p>\n

While many exercises require specialized equipment, memberships, or peak physical conditioning, walking is a low-impact activity that\u2019s accessible to everyone. Walking not only increases your heart rate for aerobic activity, but it can also improve joint health and muscle strength<\/a>\u2014two key components to staying fit as you age. Mental benefits, including improved focus and boosted mood<\/a>, are an added bonus.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re walking during a focused exercise routine or combining some mileage with other activities, here are five ways to make reaching your daily step count fruitful and fun!<\/p>\n

Mall Walking<\/h3>\n

Mall walking is a popular option for a reason. It\u2019s the perfect way to get in your step count in relative comfort and safety. According to the Mall Walking guide<\/a> (sponsored in part by the CDC Healthy Aging Research Network), mall walking can address many physical barriers to walking because it\u2019s \u201cfree, relatively accessible, and pedestrian-friendly.\u201d Walking inside means you don\u2019t have to worry about the weather, so no need to bundle up or put on sunscreen! Active seniors with any movement restrictions can easily walk with aids like canes and walkers in a mall\u2014the ground is smooth, and the paths are wide. As a bonus, malls have public restrooms and water fountains, so seniors who need easy access to facilities can take advantage of this setup. If you\u2019d like to walk with a group, search to see if one already exists in your area! If not, consider starting your own\u2014the guide has great tips<\/a> for setting something up in your community.<\/p>\n

Open an App!<\/h3>\n

If external motivation helps you keep on top of your exercise, try using a walking app to keep track of your movement. Sometimes seeing our progress can be the best motivation to continue moving forward! Available for your phone, tablet, or computer, these walking programs can provide simple step counters and music to accompany your stride, plus fun challenge goals and ideas for interval training through walking. MapMyWalk<\/a> can track your route and mileage whether you walk indoors or outside. If you walk on treadmills or in your home, try using Walk the Distance<\/a>\u2014you can follow paths around the world as you walk, all the while discovering facts about the area and viewing incredible scenery.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Combine with Volunteering<\/h3>\n

Walking for exercise is an excellent way to stay healthy, but your walks don\u2019t have to be solely<\/i> focused on working up a sweat. Keep your walks interesting by combining some of your daily steps with activities that are meaningful to you, like volunteering. Sign up for volunteer opportunities that require a lot of movement, like walking dogs for those who work full-time or helping to pick up trash in city parks. (Pro tip: use a grabber pole so that you don\u2019t have to bend over to collect the trash!) At the end of the day, you\u2019ll feel accomplished for two reasons: You\u2019ve met your step goal and<\/i> contributed to your community. If you want to branch out beyond your neighborhood, try an app like Charity Miles<\/a>; the program will donate to a charity of your choice as you meet your fitness goals.<\/p>\n

Centralize Your Errands<\/h3>\n

Walking in modern-day America is often tricky. Many communities are spread out and don\u2019t offer easily walkable paths and commercial districts. America Walks<\/a> is one of the leading organizations working towards creating more walkable communities and offers a directory of groups in your area that are committed to encouraging walking and movement\u2014so, check to see how you can connect with these organizations! If you don\u2019t have an easily walkable community, you can still take advantage of the concept by centralizing your weekly errands and trying to complete as many as possible by walking. For instance, you might scope out a community nearby that has a coffee shop, grocery store, and bank all within a one-mile radius. Once a week, drive to that community, park centrally, and use the rest of your day to \u201crun\u201d your errands by walking!<\/p>\n

Take a Friend<\/h3>\n

One of the best ways to make walking fun is to go with a friend or two! Socializing while walking can make the time go by faster and can increase your endorphins through companionship. If you don\u2019t have friends locally to walk with, plan instead to have a phone chat with a long-distance pal as you each walk! It\u2019s a great way to catch up and stay healthy every week.<\/p>\n

Try these creative ways to make walking more fun\u2014you\u2019ll reach your daily step count in no time!<\/p>\n

The Active Aging Series<\/a> is brought to you by our partner, Cambrian Homecare<\/a>. Cambrian Homecare has been assisting individuals to stay independent in their homes for 25 years. Flexible experience you can trust, when the best place is still at home. Click here to see all of Cambrian’s informative articles. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re walking during a focused exercise routine or combining some mileage with other activities, here are five ways to make reaching your daily step count fruitful and fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":72023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[31883],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[3245],"class_list":["post-30381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hi-lo","tag-sponsored-by-cambrian-homecare","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30381"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=30381"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}