Get motivated to walk with these tips

We all know it’s important to exercise.

That doesn’t mean you need to sign up for a gym membership you already know you are probably never going to use.

According to an Australian study published in The Lancet medical journal earlier this year (2024), even just 160 minutes of brisk walking per week helps to reduce lower back pain, says German orthopaedic surgeon Professor Dr Bernd Kladny.

The good thing about walking: “You can do it anywhere, it fits well into your daily routine, you don’t need any equipment and it costs nothing,” he says.

Still, it can be tough sometimes to persuade yourself to go for a walk, especially on gloomy days.

What’s more, some people are simply not into walks, especially if it amounts to just wandering around with no particular destination.

Here are five tips on how to make your walks a bit more exciting, which will help with your motivation.

> Listen to something

Put on some music, an audio book or a podcast.

Going for a walk also provides a good opportunity to call that old friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with for ages.

Calling your mum or dad works too.

> Set yourself a photo challenge

Pick a theme, e.g. architecture, a particular colour or animals, and take your phone or camera on your walk.

Whether you aim for a certain number of images or just one particularly unique shot, the challenge will help to distract you from the exercise.

> Just wander around

Don’t decide on a particular route for your walk, but leave it up to chance where you end up, e.g. by flipping a coin to decide whether to turn left or right.

> Play a location-based game

Try Pokémon Go or geocaching, an app-based treasure hunt that involves searching for so-called geocaches, small containers placed all over the world that contain a logbook you can sign to prove you found the cache.

> Explore different places

If you’re tired of walking the same streets again and again, use your walk to explore a different neighbourhood. – dpa