by Eddie Brawley

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Walking is a great way to get exercise for many reasons. The key to enjoying a good walk is to forget you're exercising at all! Here are a few tricks that can help you get a workout without realizing it:

Remember that you can drive somewhere for your walk. This just means you shouldn't limit yourself to a route near your home, work, school, etc. You don't have to work a walk into your established daily routine: feel free to drive somewhere you enjoy spending time, but can still walk. This could be a mall, a nearby college campus, a park, a particular district of your city, a nature trail - anywhere with scenery you're not already tired of looking at.

If you have a portable mp3 player, try a podcast instead of music. A podcast is like radio, except much more specialized. You can find detailed and interesting discussions about almost any topic from at-home beer making to Bob Dylan bootlegs to Oprah book recommendations. There are thousands of podcasts available for free on iTunes among many other places. Or try an audiobook. If you're listening to something interesting and engrossing, you'll forget you're exercising at all.

Don't be afraid to multi-task. Take advantage of your cell phone and get some business done while you work out. As long as you aren't huffing and puffing too hard you should be able to make the same phone calls you would otherwise spend time making from your office. Or get some errands done. If you choose to take a walk at the mall, why not take care of some shopping? It might break up your rhythm to browse in a store, but it's probably relaxing and it's better than sitting on the couch.

If you have an errand nearby, walk instead of drive. This somewhat counteracts the first suggestion, but not completely. If you have to go to the neigborhood grocery store to get something, why not spend 20 minutes walking rather than 5 minutes driving? If this sounds obvious that's because it is! There really is no reason not to take advantage of these little opportunities for exercise. It's much easier to simply live more holistically than to schedule periods of exercise that you end up dreading. And much less stressful.

Learn more about this author, Eddie Brawley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.