Exercise | Perle Champion

How to Build a Walking Habit – Easy as 1, 2, 3

I manage to go walkabout almost every morning of the week rain or shine, although a really bad storm might keep me in on the stationary bike. Walking is one of the single best habits you can build into your life, and it will serve you for a lifetime. It’s a habit I acquired by a very simple method – preparation.

Get clothes ready the day before. Shoes, socks, shorts, undies, t-shirt are right there in a neat stack by my bedroom door. I started putting them in a vintage hat box, because of Jazzmine. Typically curious cat that she is, she is wont to relocate a shoe or sock, or use the clothes as her napping spot. The hatbox solves that and looks more aesthetic as well.
Fold laundry in workout sets. When I do laundry, I fold my work out clothes in similar stacks then put them in the drawer. The following day as I toss the dirty clothes into the hamper, I simply put out a new stack in the hatbox.
Put other essentials by the door. Keys (of course), a small pad w/pen (seems I always get great ideas while walking and a tablet comes in handy), my iPhone to take pix of things that strike my fancy and for safety should I need help (never know), and a hat (baseball in good weather, boggan in winter). Hats are necessary (keeps the sun out of your eyes, and bird poop out of your hair).

I started this habit in my 20’s, as I would have to be up at 5a.m. to get my 5 miles in, come home, shower, change, make breakfast and get to work by or before 8a.m.

Now that I work from home, I still walk early (5 or 6a.m.). There are a variety of reasons for this, two of which have to do with living urban.

The air is fresher early in the morning before the morning commute picks up.
The distant surf of cars has not risen so loud that it drowns out the sounds of nature.
The early walk raises my metabolism and primes my me and my body for the rest of the day.

A Few Rules to Getting Your Walking Done Early.

Walk About Wednesdays – Here are 3 rules to help you get your walk or other workout done early with no excuses.

Aside from walking to Lister Hill for my WriteNow session, I’m walking in the early mornings again as I once did religiously. There was a time when I was up every morning at 5 a.m. and out the door for a 5-mile walk before getting ready and going to work.

Somewhere around the time I had the meniscus tear in my left knee repaired (years of various sports injury), I quit. It’s true that it takes only 3 days to break a good habit, even one I’ve had for over 25 years. I’m living proof. The knee was getting painful before the surgery so my walking had gotten sporadic, but after the surgery, I just couldn’t get going again.

I pulled out a blog I wrote some years ago and decided implement the rules that kept me walking for so many years first thing in the morning.

Park complete workout outfit by bed – on top of shoes stack socks, shorts, panties, bra, shirt.
Start dressing while on toilet (I always go first thing, so I take my stack of clothes with me).
Grab keys, phone, and small tablet with pen and stuff in pocket (these should be parked by the door)

I used to carry a camera, too, but with the iPhone takes jusst a good a picture. I carry a small, as I’m a writer and good ideas seem to come when you’re miles from home with nothing to write on.

I’m usually out the door in 10 minutes.

Will this help you get some early morning walking done?