I am obsessed with walking and here is why.
Time to talk about my favorite activity, walking. My family has always been big walkers. For example, anytime we are together the dinner conversation is “who is joining the long walk tomorrow morning?”. As with anything when I was younger, I never appreciated this but COVID changed that.
During the lockdown, my two sisters and I all moved home and lived with our dad. Along with all of America, we were going stir crazy and began to do a ton of walking. I think a lot of people started to do this to get outside the house and move your body. It became the way I got to see my friends during the lockdown too. We would meet up and go for walks to be together outside of zoom and facetimes. When I moved back to the city and was living & working in my apartment walking became even more crucial to me. I would get up everyday before work and go for a walk. This way I knew no matter what I had left the apartment that day (because we all know it got too easy to never even go outside). I would also make sure I went on “lunchtime walks” every day to step away from my computer. These walks became important to my daily routine and my mental health. Looking back, I can’t help but laugh because there were some days, I was legit walking in snowstorms or freezing temps. What a time!
Walking during that time when I moved back to NYC had me exploring not only my neighborhood but all different parts of the city which I still love to do. To this day, walking with friends, family or by myself is one of my favorite activities. With my friends and family, it is one of the best ways to spend quality time with them. I have had my best vent sessions & genuine catch ups on walks. I have even developed new friendships through walking (Shoutout to my girl Liz). During COVID, Liz and I started going on long walks together and I mean LONG. We would regularly clock in 10-mile walks. It became not only how we coped with our pandemic anxiety but how we got to really know each other and develop a very special friendship.
When I walk by myself, I love to listen to podcasts. It allows me to clear my head, destress and honestly unwind. Outside of the mental health benefits, walking is good for your physical health. It increases cardiovascular fitness, strengthens bones, improves your heart health and enhances your sleep quality. If trying to figure out a workout routine overwhelms you and don’t know where to begin. I encourage to start going for walks. Grab your sneaks, a friend, or some good vibes in your air pods and walk it out!
