If you’re looking for a simple and accessible way to improve your overall well-being, the answer may be as straightforward as taking a walk. In fact, there are many symptoms you might have experienced that can be alleviated with commitment to a regular walking practice. In this article, you’ll learn how nine common symptoms can be made better with walking.
I woke up my sophomore year of college to discover two seemingly unrelated issues. First, I had gained not just the freshman fifteen, but more like the freshman thirty, and I’m barely 5’3”. I blame dorm food and a steady stream of 11:00 p.m. pizza runs. Second, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life or even who I really was. I felt like I was constantly in reaction mode, and between classes, homework, and living with dozens of people on the 8th floor of Denton 8 (my dorm), well, the picture wasn’t pretty.
A long staple of military training, in its most basic form, rucking is simply walking with a loaded pack. The term comes from “rucksack,” the durable pack the military uses to carry equipment. Recent research has confirmed what our military has long known: rucking is a powerful form of fitness, whatever your mission.
Highly versatile, the weight you carry can vary based on your fitness level and training goals, and the right pack makes it easy to increase the weight as you get stronger. And get stronger you will, along with a host of other benefits that make rucking something we should all add to our walking practice.
If rising temperatures have you sweating about how to keep up with your walking practice, find relief with nine tips to keep you cool and crush your miles.
It is said that variety is the spice of life, a lesson you should consider applying to your walking style. Varying your routine helps to keep you from getting bored and presents the opportunity to challenge your body in new ways that can lead to stronger muscles and a healthier you. Here are nine ways you can switch things up and add a little spice to your walking workout.
Being daring and trying something new can be a scary thing. It can bring up fears that you tucked safely under your pillow, patiently waiting for the time when you were ready to face them. It can un-shelf insecurities that you’d like to keep hidden from the world. But it can also lead to something so much more rewarding. A sense of accomplishment and strength from walking through those fears and coming out on the other side with courage knowing you can do anything.
A favorite treat when the summer sun finds itself high in the sky is the juicy, sweet taste of watermelon. A perfect side for picnics, a delicious snack, or creatively curated into appetizers, starters, or beverages, watermelon can be blended, cut up and served into a multitude of delicious delights. But not only will they pack a sweet punch into your day, watermelon is also a great food to incorporate into your healthy habits. Following are 9 health benefits of eating watermelon:
When my daughter was about two, we were standing at the top of the stairs when she suddenly lifted her arms up towards the sky and launched herself off the top step. She was trying to figure out whether or not she could fly. Fortunately, I caught her before she tumbled, head first, to the ground.
When we are young -- before we “knew better” -- we dared to take a lot of chances. No challenge seems too great, no risk seems too consequential. But then we “learn from our mistakes.” We learn from our losses. We learn from our embarrassments. We learn from our hurt. We learn to be less daring as the years go by.
The first step in goal crushing is goal setting because if you don’t know where you are going, you are going to have a really, really hard time getting there. You need a target, a goal, a North Star. Goal setting is an art. Set your goal too high and you set yourself up for disappointment. Set it too low and you’ll accomplish it too easily -- which isn’t always a bad thing but means that you left something on the table and robbed yourself of the sense of accomplishment that comes from accomplishing something challenging.
The objective? Set a goal that is just right. Be the Goldilocks of goal setting.
They’re called the Dog Days of Summer, the span of days between July 3rd and August 11th where astronomy and astrology intersect. When the rising of the sun and the star Sirius, Orion’s dog, coincide. Sirius, known to the ancient Greeks to mean “glowing” or “scorcher,” shines brightly in the constellation Canis Major (Latin for “Greater Dog”) at a time that the Romans called “dies caniculares” or “days of the dog star.” Which translated into “dog days” in the English world by the 1500s.
Shin splints. It can be that ache or pain you feel in the front, lower part of your legs. A tenderness that makes you question heading out the door for a walk. Shin splints are very common and, thankfully, there are small changes you can make to help reduce the recurrence.
Those who wander, who challenge the limits and let their dreams guide them, have made a true impact on the world. We wanted to take a moment to highlight 9 women who chose to wander from the expectations and norms, redefine the rules, and embrace the wonder in the unknown. We hope they inspire you to reach for your goals. To try something new. Chase your dreams. And help you find the joy in wandering.
Sure, we look forward to the summer months. To lazy days sitting by the pool, taking time for some rest and relaxation, and just generally slowing down. But in addition to those summer pastimes come rising temperatures and humidity, which can make being active outside downright unbearable. So what can you do to keep moving and get your walks in during the hot summer months? Well, we’ve got some ideas for you.
I remember the day we added our puppy, Moose, to our family. He was eight pounds of puppy love. The exuberance, energy, and joy that that little bundle of fur invested in each day is a marvel. Puppies play all the time. At least, when they aren’t sleeping. Or eating.
As parents, we recognize the importance of play for our kids. It is how they learn, have fun, blow off steam and develop skills.
As adults, we don’t play enough.
Okay, I’ll admit it. Talking about chafing is as uncomfortable as it feels. But, we all, yes ALL, experience it. All ages, all sizes, all genders, all makes, all models … everyone. So let’s put aside the feeling like we’re in this all alone, calm the blush of our rosy cheeks and get to the, ahem, bottom of the whys and what you can do about chafing.
Joyful Wanderer. One phrase, two words. Let’s unpack it -- break it down one word at a time. I’ll start with the second.
It was about a week ago when I realized I wasn’t going to make my goal for the month. There was no way. I had allowed myself to get too busy to prioritize self-care and too distracted to care. Seven days left of the month and 23 miles left to crush. Along with those unwalked miles, I realized that I had allowed the stress to overtake me. I had lost track of my goals, blown off my morning routine, failed to focus on the things for which I am grateful.
Today, we share with you the things we learned from our fathers. The words and experiences that changed us and formed us into who we are today, and the lessons we pass on to our own children. Perhaps many of the sentiments and stories shared by our team here at 99 Walks will be familiar. Or perhaps your life lessons were expressed differently. But today, let’s all be grateful for the ones who influenced us and cherish those memories and the heart that was behind it all.
As a team, we've been reflecting on our Core Values and we have a lot of them. 99 of them to be exact. We needed a lot of them because, well, there is a lot to this community and this journey.
One of our team members recently shared how the 99 Walks Core Values resonate with her as we, as a nation, grapple with our past, our present, and our future.
The temperatures are rising, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer, all of which are beckoning us outside. And though at 99 Walks we’re all about savoring the sunshine, and there are many benefits to some time outside, being safe while doing so is of the utmost importance. Following are 9 things to keep in mind when soaking up the summer -- or any season for that matter -- sun.
There’s nothing we enjoy more than walking in the sunshine, and not just because the warmth feels good on our skin. Sunshine has plenty of health benefits, and with the proper safe sun protection, walking is a great way to soak in the sun. Here are nine of our favorite reasons to savor the sunshine:
The past few months have been hard. Uncertain, unsettling, confusing, and sometimes frightening. But they have also forced us to slow down and to take stock. To begin to realize what’s important and to have the time and space to begin to prioritize those things. We are walking more. We are talking more. We are cooking more.
This month, as we begin to emerge back into regular life, let’s savor more.
It’s been two months since our family started sheltering in place. During that time, emotions have exhibited the ups and downs of the proverbial roller coaster. We've had stress-filled homeschooling sessions followed by anxiety-ridden uncertainties and sleepless nights. Now, I’m no expert, but my gut tells me that you might be in the same boat.
When we were babies, we were given pacifiers or found a thumb for sucking to calm us down when we were upset, but my guess is that those tactics might be frowned upon once you pass the age of four. So in an effort to curb the effects of all those grown-up worries, we've put together a list of nine techniques to self-soothe.
We inhale and exhale about 20,000 times a day. Each time, we set a remarkably complex chain of events in motion. A slew of muscles you don’t even know you have activate to expand your lungs. Oxygen passes from your lunges to your blood to your heart to be ferried throughout your body. That life-giving oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide, a toxic waste product, which is expelled as you exhale. Over and over. Breathing in life-giving oxygen. Breathing out toxic carbon dioxide.
Despite its essential role in our survival, despite the magic, the science and the complexity, inhaling and exhaling go largely unnoticed. Unobserved. Ignored.
It’s time to admit it. The kitchen is a room we’re visiting more frequently now that we’re home all the time. And not just for the main meals, but also in between. But, don’t fret. Snacking can actually be good for you if it keeps you from overeating at mealtime. So, what is the 99 Walks team snacking on these days? We surveyed the team and they shared their favorites.
