50 Ways to Beat Walking Exercise Boredom: Wisdom for Walkers

Wisdom for Walkers

Even the most committed walkers will admit that, sometimes, putting one foot in front of the other can get a little boring, especially if you're covering the same old route or the same old piece of treadmill rubber day after day. Never fear -- boredom relief is here.

1. Assault your senses. You can't possibly get bored on the treadmill when you're watching the news on TV, talking to your mother on the phone, or reading a magazine or two. Need extra stimulation? Do all three at once.

2. Stalk your dream house. Walk the most beautiful neighborhoods and ogle the architecture. Then decide which house you'll buy if you win the lottery.

3. Inspire yourself. "I have my clients make their own tapes," says Tim Culwell, a fitness professional in Denver. "Tape a self-affirming talk to yourself about things you want to improve in your life. Your subconscious will listen better to your own voice."

4. Have a destination. When you're going somewhere special -- a friend's house, a favorite shop, or a fruit stand -- you'll have more fun getting there.

5. Monitor your heart. "Heart-rate monitors are coming on stronger -- many people really love to see changes in the numbers," says Ruth Stricker, owner of The Marsh, a trendsetting health club in Minnesota that sponsors a walking program. Watching your numbers improve is fun -- and powerful motivation to keep walking.

6. Plan your reading. "I save those long articles in The New Yorker for my treadmill sessions," says Gabrielle Buckley, 38, an avid Southern California walker. "A good long one takes me about 45 minutes to read, which is perfect for the treadmill."

7. Practice the relaxation response. Harvard's Herbert Benson, M.D., author of Timeless Healing (Simon & Schuster, 1997), has proved that the relaxation response significantly reduces symptoms of physical stress, including high blood pressure. "While walking, focus on a repetition. If you're spiritual, repeat a prayer while you're walking," he advises. "If you're not, repeat something else, or focus on your footfalls."

A Different Tune

8. Listen to music. "There's no question that listening to music can help an exerciser," says Jack A. Taylor, Ph.D., director of the Center for Music Research at Florida State University in Tallahassee. "It keeps a steady beat going, and the research clearly shows that music puts your mind into a mild state of euphoria."

9. Customize your music. "I keep a notepad in my car and write down songs I like, ones that have a good beat for walking," says Buckley. "When my list gets to 12, a guy at my gym makes a tape for me."

10. Monitor your legs. Clip on a pedometer, and watch how quickly the miles add up.

11. Exercise your wallet as well as your body. Join a mall-walking club and window-shop while you walk. Then reward a good workout with a small purchase.

12. Vary your routes. "We have all kinds of routes," says Linda Fitzgerald, an exercise physiologist who leads a YMCA walking group in Palo Alto, Calif. "We have shady routes for hot days and sunny routes for cool days."

13. Join a walking club. "It's great for both the routes and the companionship," says Lynette Reagan, who belongs to the Baltimore Walking Club. Call 800-AVA-WALK for a club near you.

14. Count squirrels. Or seagulls. Or cats -- there are lots of them out there.

15. Find a walking pal. The commitment will get you out of the house; the talk makes the walk fun.

16. Learn a foreign language. Listen to language tapes as you walk.

17. Listen to books on tape. "You'll exercise your mind as well as your body," says Kevin Burns, a trainer at the Sweatshop in St. Paul, Minn. "My clients love it -- they 'read' dozens of books throughout the walking month."

Find Purpose

18. Write poetry in your head. Dictate it into a microcassette if you want to preserve it for posterity.

19. Find a busy route in a big city. Dodging taxis and trucks will keep you nimble.

20. Invite your boss for a walk -- you'll probably see sides of each other that you didn't know existed.

21. Teach yourself to whistle.

22. Sign up to walk a 5K or 10K event. "I encourage my clients to enter competitions like 5Ks -- not to win, but for the fun of it," says Joe Morales, a personal trainer in California. "Somebody who has never been athletic gets such a thrill out of completing their first competition."

23. Walk for charity. The camaraderie and do-goodism will keep you moving.

24. Walk the dog. Not only will you have a purpose for your outing, but you'll have a good listener too.

25. Birdwatch. "I look for robins and sparrows and bluebirds when I walk," says Burns. "It stimulates the mind and keeps me focused." Take along a guide to your region's birds, and educate yourself.

26. Sing along with the great opera arias on your personal stereo.

27. If it isn't safe to walk with headphones on, sing the great opera arias anyway.

28. Do several mini-walks in a day: Changes in scenery keep walks fresh.

29. Read trashy magazines on the treadmill -- much trashier than you'd let yourself read at Home.

Multi-Task

30. Don't step on the cracks.

31. Walk backward for a while. "It gives you cross-training benefits -- and it keeps you alert," says Culwell.

32. Walk with a trainer. "We're all creatures of habit, and we don't recognize our abilities to get to the next place, but a trainer can cheer you on and get you there," says Ellen Abbott, walking director of the Boston Athletic Club.

33. Cross-train. "Because I lift weights, I'm much stronger when I walk, and I enjoy the walks so much more," says Abbott.

34. Nature-walk. Seek out routes blessed with woods, beaches, or gardens.

35. Be a big shot. Talk on a Cell Phone while you walk.

36. Wear a CamelBak water carrier. You'll stay hydrated, which will keep your energy up. Plus, you'll have fun sporting neat equipment.

37. Fantasize. Write a mental soap opera starring all those gym rats you have to stare at while you're on the treadmill.

38. Pace your mail carrier. "They've developed an art and science out of walking," says Burns. "Walk along and chat with him or her."

39. Strength train while you walk. "Do some very slow walking lunges and some slow side squats," advises Culwell.

40. Start a walking club. Don't invite people with very strong opinions on politics or religion, though.

41. Explore neighborhoods. "Learn about the houses, the architecture, and the history of your neighborhood or other neighborhoods you like," says Burns. "Find out where the haunted houses are!"

42. Plan a walking vacation. It'll give your workouts a goal as well as give you something to daydream about while you walk.

43. Watch reruns of Monty Python's Flying Circus, and look for John Cleese as the Minister of Silly Walks. You won't find walking dull again.

44. Interval-train. "Walk and then run a little, or walk fast for 3 minutes, then return to your normal speed," advises Abbott. "It breaks the monotony, and it builds strength and endurance."

45. Walk your daily errands. "Find safe, comfortable routes to your library, video store, and market, and put on a backpack," says Burns.

46. Plan your week in your head.

47. Have an imaginary conversation with a historical figure. "Imagine that Eleanor Roosevelt or Gandhi is on the treadmill next to you," says Burns.

48. Get vertical. Challenge yourself with neighborhood hills, or crank up the incline on the treadmill.

49. Talk to God.

50. Walk like an Egyptian -- it made Steve Martin rich.