Make a Habit of Walking Daily
When the doctor prescribes another medication for a health concern that could be remedied by having a healthier lifestyle, it is easy to have the intention of getting in better shape. Unfortunately, I have found that the scare that comes from a bad doctor visit isn’t enough to change my habits. The ultimate goal of being healthier is overwhelming and can seem like too much, and as a result, I have abandoned diets and healthy activities in the past.
This problem is a common one, and while researching for my doctoral dissertation, I stumbled upon some research on habit formation that has been healing and transformative as I strive to get more physical activity daily. With this new knowledge, I am approaching my desire to be healthier from a different perspective, and I have found a few new practices that are helping me form the habit of spending time walking outdoors daily.
I am hopeful that the strategies and practices shared in this post are helpful to you in establishing systems that support spending more time in nature and having a healthier lifestyle.
Create a System for Spending Time in Nature
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” - James Clear
Stopping everything, putting on my sneakers, and going outside can make the biggest difference in my disposition and outlook. When I am anxious, stressed, or feeling lonely, a walk outside can uplift my spirits and put things into perspective, but getting myself out the door can be the biggest battle. I am often willful and not willing to cross the threshold to begin a physical activity outdoors. To overcome this barrier, I have used a few practical tips that I have taken from reading content written by Charles Duhigg and James Clear on habit formation. My desire is to create a system for getting outside in nature daily.
Here are some of the practical applications of these theories I have used to create my system for daily walks outside:
Start Small: “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.” - James Clear
My former mindset was fixed on the idea that a “good walk” required me to trek at least five miles, and anything less than this distance was a waste of time and energy. This goal I set for myself was actually holding me back. On days when I felt overwhelmed by the thought of a five mile walk or when time was limited, I skipped the walk altogether. One day of skipping turned into two, and then the habit fell apart.
This belief created a mental wall that was holding me back from creating a consistent routine that could lead to a long-term habit. Once I scaled down my expectations for the walk, I found it easier to remain committed to going daily. I abandoned the distance requirement and reframed the goal. Instead of walking five miles, my new goal was to go outside and walk - period.
By not putting a set length on the walk, it was less daunting and easier to overcome the resistance to start. Once outside, I often walked further than around the block, but it was the small commitment that made it seem easy to begin. The walk could be to the end of the street and back or it could be eight miles, but the new expectation was that I would walk daily. As James Clear outlines in Atomic Habits, I was aligning my new habit with my identity. I walked daily because I saw myself as a person who spends time outside and values reflection time during physical activity.
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” - James Clear. Each time I go outside for a walk, I cast a vote for that identity - I claim that I am a person who walks daily. This mind shift was the beginning of forming the habit of getting outside daily when I am at home, but this shift in the mind wasn’t enough for me to maintain the habit. There were other lessons I needed to learn.
Make it Obvious, Attractive, Easy, and Satisfying: “The first three laws of behavior change—make it obvious, make it attractive, and make it easy—increase the odds that a behavior will be performed this time. The fourth law of behavior change—make it satisfying—increases the odds that a behavior will be repeated next time.” - James Clear
Reading more about habit formation as I researched for my doctoral dissertation, I came across this brilliant framework by James Clear. Starting with a mind shift and scaling your goal more appropriately is a fair start, but the four laws of behavior change began to help me create routines and add structure to support the identify of become a person who walks daily.
Make it obvious: I realized that I needed physical reminders to prompt or cue me to begin my walks. This seemed like a small change, but it had a massive impact on whether I walked or not. The first thing I would do is to place my walking shoes next to the sofa in the living room. I had a morning routine that was already established - I would wake, take the dogs out, get a glass of water, and then go sit on the sofa to check social media. I noticed an opportunity to modify this routine by going out for the walk before I went down the ‘rabbit hole’ of social media. By placing my shoes next to the sofa, I would see them when I went to sit and drink my water. Instead of focusing on social media, I shifted my attention to putting on my shoes while hydrating. Then, when I had finished the water, I was ready for my walk.
Sometimes, I had meetings or appointments first thing in the morning, and I was not able to have a morning walk. Because I was becoming a person who walks daily, I had to walk in the evening instead. This was challenging because it could start getting dark or interfere with dinnertime. I had to leave at a specific time, or I would not go at all - I had a small window in the afternoons between work and dinner. To time the walk appropriately, I began using timers on my phone to prompt my walk. When I hear the chime of the alarm, I know that it is time to walk - and if I procrastinate, I will miss the opportunity. Knowing that I must go or miss the walk all together helps urge me to stop what. I am doing and go outside immediately when the chime sounds.
Make it attractive: Physical activity often feels good once I get going, and I love the feeling of accomplishment once I complete exercise. Unfortunately, that delayed reward is not enough to drive my desire to get outdoors when I am being willful. I have found other things that make going for a walk more attractive so that I look forward to the activity. Here are a few things I do on my walks that motivate me to begin:
Listen to a Podcast or an Audiobook: With many distractions when I am in the house, I rarely listen to a podcast or audio book while indoors, but the uninterrupted time walking is an opportune time to become immersed in a good story or meaningful discussion. Being a travel-lover, I enjoy listening to the Amateur Traveler Podcast or Out of Office Podcast. I listen to episodes about places I have been to relive trips I have loved, or I find episodes about a place I dream about visiting. When I am not in a travel podcast mood, I tune in to Brené Brown’s podcast called Unlocking Us on Spotify or Glennon Doyle’s podcast We Can Do Hard Things. Listening to these thought-provoking conversations help me to use the time during my walk to reflect on myself and my values, and often I get inspired by these podcasts.
Take Photos: Another activity that I am drawn to is photography. So, when I combine photographing nature with my walk, it is a win-win situation. Taking my phone with me during a sunset walk gives me the options of capturing the sunset or beautiful clouds. I also search for small vignettes to photograph - changing leaves, dew covered grass, flowers in bloom, a gnarled tree, etc. Giving my walk this added layer of purpose gives me an additional reason to get out the door.
Listen to Music: I am the kind of person who creates playlists for different moods and activities. I have several that I love to play when I am walking. If I am not in the mood for a podcast, I can get lost in thought and music during my time outdoors. Sometimes, upbeat music motivates me to pick up my pace and forge forward, but often, I listen to calming and reflective music. This type of music makes my walk become almost meditative. I focus on the lyrics and almost always find connections to my emotional or mental state at the time. I use this time to reflect on my relationships, video creation for my Instagram site, or even reflect upon my childhood memories and experiences. I can find this time to be extremely therapeutic - when I am in the right frame of mind. I also know that when my mind is racing, getting outside and walking allows me to process my thoughts better.
Walk in a Park: I struggle to enjoy walking in the neighborhood at times because I crave a more natural setting. If I don’t want to see houses and cars during my walk, I may drive a few miles to a park or nature center to go for my stroll. This has a couple of positive effects - first, once in the car, I am less likely to back out on going for my walk, and secondly, once I begin walking in nature, I usually walk further than I would on the sidewalk in my neighborhood. I can’t do this every day, but on a day when I am resisting, making plans to go to a park can get me over the hump so I stick with my new habit.
Have a Friend Join Me: Finally, if I have missed a day or two of walking, and I am really struggling to get back on track, I may call a friend to meet me for a walk. This gives me an added layer of accountability and the joy of visiting with a friend while walking makes the activity more attractive. This connection with a friend can be in person or I can plan to talk on the phone with them during the walk - either way, the visit serves the same purpose.
Make it easy: When I shared about my shift in mindset from walking at least five miles to just walking daily, I made the act of walking easier. I know that it is doable and fits into my lifestyle to at least walk around the block daily. I may not lose weight or gain strength if I walk the minimum of around the block daily, but I know that will not be the case. Most days, I go around three to six miles, but there are days that I just don’t have the energy or time to do more than walk around the block - and that is ok.
Make it satisfying: I gain satisfaction from listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or music, but walking in itself is satisfying for me. When I finish a walk, I usually feel better than when I started. I get back home and have energy to go into the next activities of the day. I have a clear mind to do better creative work, and I have more drive to do small tasks like housework and cooking. I also begin to crave the feelings I get after my walks - this craving is another motivator to continue the habit cycle.
When I Mess Up: It is inevitable - when I try to start a new habit, I am going to mess up from time to time. How I approach these small, missed opportunities can make or break the new forming habit. I have a rule that I apply to days that I miss a walk, and that rule is to not miss two days in a row. If I mess up and miss one day, I am determined to get back to the routine the next day. Missing twice in a row puts me in crisis mode because I am starting to cast votes that are contrary to the identity I want create for myself. I am beginning to say that I am not a person who values getting outdoors daily, and it is easier to abandon the habit completely.
It does happen that I miss two days in a row - when I am ill or if weather is bad, but as soon as I feel better or the weather clears, I must get back outside. This commitment that I make to myself is important to keep the habit going so that my cues and prompts lead to a routine which produces rewards and a deep craving to continue the cycle. I am human and I will make mistakes, but having a plan for what I do when I make those mistakes keeps my system for walking daily intact.
Results? I have started seeing results from my daily walk routine - I have more energy, I make more healthy food choices, and I have shed a few pounds. However, I do not want to measure all my success by the number of pounds or inches I am losing. I want to keep my focus on the small act of getting outside daily, and the results will come. If the results are not occurring fast enough, I will then. have a habit of walking daily to build upon. I will have a foundation to add more intensity or additional exercise opportunities to, but if I leap to that point before the basic habit of walking daily has been formed, then I am likely to fail. Just taking it one walk at a time and striving to enjoy the process and system that I have put in place to make these walks happen.
Go Straight to the Source: For great reading on habit formation - check out the following books.
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones; Tiny changes, remarkable results. New York: Penguin Random House.
Duhigg, Charles (2014). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.