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.
Most people talk about seeing the beauty. But we know that you need to find the beauty. Beautiful things are not always obvious. Often, they are buried, hidden. Beauty can be found sneaking through the edge of a storm cloud, tucked inside the muck of a crusty oyster shell, or in the mess that becomes your kitchen when children decide to bake cookies. Beauty can be found in loss and pain and fear. Beauty can be found in the simplest of moments, but only if you look.
We all start out the same way — as beginners. But with each step and each intentional walk, we discover our abilities, our stamina, and our desires and often we begin to feel challenged to push ourselves to the next level. To quicken our pace and extend our intervals. To elevate our walk from that of a beginner to more advanced. But how do you know when you’re ready to “step” it up?
The other morning, I was walking up the stairs in my house when I noticed a ball of fuzz on a step. It wasn't big — about the size of a quarter — and probably came out of a dog toy that Moose dismembered (those of you with dogs probably know exactly that I mean). I noticed it but did not bend over and pick up it. 'Cause I didn't feel like it. My mind was on other things. But I noticed. And then I noticed it the next time I walked up the stairs and that time I thought "I'll grab that later." I probably walked up and down those stairs four or five more times before I finally bent over and picked up the ball of fuzz, walked into the bathroom, and dropped it in the trash can.
It’s hard to believe it’s September. More than 200 days have passed since the COVID crisis began. As a society and a community, we have learned so much. We’ve learned more about this disease, both how to treat it and how to avoid it. But so many questions remain unanswered and so much remains a mystery.
I didn’t know what to expect when my best friend asked me to join her in the new ballet folklorico troupe that was being assembled our freshman year in high school. Though I grew up in Austin, TX, and was surrounded by the Hispanic community, including having a best friend who was born in Mexico, I had never truly experienced the culture. Sure, I had a love for what my best friend would just call “food,” but other than tacos, enchiladas and a few Spanish language classes, I was pretty immersed in my own Caucasion culture.
Whatever your goals, we want to be sure that you get the most you possibly can out of your 99 Walks membership. So we’ve created this guide that we hope will answer all of your questions and give you all of the tools you need to begin walking your way to better. If there’s something we’ve missed, or some question we haven’t answered, do not hesitate to reach out to the Pack Support Squad pronto (team@99walks.fit). The entire 99 Walks team is here to help.
Why is it so hard to just start? Taking that first step to a healthy habit can be intimidating. What if I fail? What if I don’t like it? What if I’m not perfect, or able to do it as well as my neighbor/sister/friend? There is no limit to what can go through our head when we set out on a new challenge, and the truth is, everyone confronts difficulty getting started from time to time. So if you’re finding yourself unable to take that initial step, know you’re not alone, and then take inspiration from the following 9 ways to just get started.
Grandparents. They are the heart of a family. The point of connection. The center of memories. And on Grandparent’s Day, it’s a time to honor them and remember the love they shared so unconditionally, so fully. So, this year, the 99 Walks team has taken a moment to share their favorite memories of their grandparents. We hope our stories bring you a smile. Make you chuckle. And maybe stir up some memories of your own.
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.
