We may be springing forward into daylight savings time this Sunday, but we’re not focusing on the one hour we’re losing. Nope, we’re focusing on the one hour we’re gaining in the evening. For many, it will be the first time in months that you’ve driven home from work in the daylight. Or the first time in a while you’ve been able to sit down for dinner without turning on the lights. Or, maybe it’s the first time lately that you didn’t wonder if you should be getting ready for bed at 6:00 p.m. Just us? We didn’t think so.

We asked the 99 Walks HQ team to share what they’re looking for with an extra hour of evening daylight, and here’s what they said;

Every year, on March 8th, we stop to celebrate International Women’s Day, a day to recognize all that women have achieved, be it social, economic, cultural or political. It’s a moment for us to move forward toward equality and gender parity. To accelerate that next step for action. A time when women should all stop and stand tall as a reflection of those that stood before us, salute those that empower us, and encourage those who hold a vision for our future.

For the past three years, I've been wrestling with a back injury. I've seen three different physical therapists, read entire books on back health and back pain, and tried dozens of different modalities, movements, and exercises. Some helped, some didn't, and bit by bit, I got slightly better, though not wholly better.

At the beginning of the year, I did what many people do. I pledged to make something happen this year. Some may call it a resolution, but for me, it was a commitment to put in the time and work to learn something new. My dream? To be able to sit around a campfire and play a guitar. But first, I had to learn how to play the guitar.

We get giddy just thinking about all of the benefits that come from taking a walk. Everything from improving your focus, reducing your stress, connecting with loved ones, lowering your blood pressure, aiding digestion, burning calories, and making you all-around happier. The list literally goes on and on! As great as simply lacing up your shoes and heading outside, around here, we’re always looking for a way to level it up. A way to make walking even better for you. 

And we’ve done it again.

In 1966, a young, Black woman set out to buy a house with her widow’s pension. Pregnant with her daughter, she found a lovely home in a predominantly Black Nashville neighborhood. Decades later, in July 1990, the woman’s daughter gave birth to a little boy named Shawn Dromgoole. Raised in the same house as his mother, he grew up with friends always outside with whom to play, and family close enough to visit for chocolate ice cream when his own freezer ran out. Shawn describes his childhood neighborhood as “a magical, almost fairytale-esque” place. 

The other night, while sitting at the dinner table, I recalled a parent cue I had read in an email earlier that day as a way of inviting conversation and connection within our busy family. “What is the wisest thing anyone has said to you?” I asked my family of four, and then gave the topic a moment to settle in. The table fell quiet, and I pleadingly looked at my husband.

You may think about walking as something you just do—the way to move from point A to point B. But walking is so much more. It is one of the most effective and accessible forms of exercise for your mind, body and spirit.

But is it exercise? Absolutely.

Let’s say you are setting sail on a big and epic journey—crossing the Atlantic from England to New York. In a sailboat. Before you set sail, you precisely target your destination and carefully plot your course. Yet you know that it is more likely than not that you will face storms along the way and that those storms will pull you off course. They will force you to reset your headings and readjust your sails. 

You know you need to get out and exercise, and you’ve seen the mental and physical health benefits of taking a walk. But what is the best time of day to take that walk? 

The short answer? Anytime that works for you because, pretty much anytime, walking is better than not walking. But there are some specific benefits from walking in the morning, afternoon or the evening.

Reaching for that mug of hot cocoa a bit more often these days? Go ahead. You may actually be doing your body good! Naturally low in fat and sugar, cocoa contains phytonutrients—natural chemicals found in plants—which, based on early research studies, may give your body the extra boost it needs to fight disease and be healthy. In honor of National Cocoa Day, we’ve compiled a list of 9 benefits of cocoa. 

There’s something about the mountains that takes your breath away. Their sheer size is enough to stop you in your tracks. Their beauty leaves you with your mouth agape and perhaps tears in your eyes. Yes, these purple mountain majesties are a sight to behold. 

If you’ve spent any time in the 99 Walks Pack, you’ve probably heard the statement “there’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.” Because we believe that no matter the weather—within reason, of course—you can always get outside for a walk. As long as you dress the part.

Yesterday, I solved a major hurdle in bringing our new business to life. It has been months of struggle. I’ve had dozens of calls, spent hours researching, asked hundreds of questions and have gotten hundreds of different answers. Yesterday, I found a solution.

I should have felt fantastic. I should have taken the afternoon off or, at the very least, taken a long walk in one of my favorite places. But I didn’t. Instead, I checked it off my list and asked myself “what’s next?”

Sure, Thanksgiving is a time of family and friends, cozy sweaters, holiday shopping and football watching, but it’s also a time for big meals, turkey comas and naps on the couch. And though we love a good nap, this year, kick that drowsy, stuffed feeling to the curb—literally—and go take a walk. Here are 9 reasons why you’ll feel better when you do.

By day two, we knew we needed a new word. “Wow” just wasn’t going to cut it. And yet, as we turned each corner on our 11-mile hike through the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, no fewer than five of the ten women who comprised our group exclaimed “wow!”

The vistas, the rock formations, the slot canyons, the determined plants growing out of the desert floor, the expansive brilliant blue of the sky.

Wow.

Want to be happier? Learn to see the cup half full, rather than half empty. Count your blessings. Appreciate the positive. Retrain your brain to focus on the good. And for heaven’s sake, stop worrying.

Sounds easy right?

Sure, accidents happen. You set out with the best intentions, but uneven sidewalks, dogs taken by surprise by automatic sprinklers, and even just misplaced footing on your way to answer the telephone can cause unfortunate tumbles. Before you know it, you’re making trips to the fridge’s ice maker to fill up that little ice pack decorated with red stars tucked under your sink. But is there a way to prevent falls? We spoke with Dr, Alexander Legrand with Bridger Orthopedics for some help.