Weather-proof Your Walks

August 12, 2010
Written by: Julie Bosche, Filed in: Employee Health Programs

Walking workouts are the ideal way to get exercise … except when they’re not.

Summer is infamous for those unpredictable thunderstorms that tend to pop up just as you’re lacing up your walking shoes.

And sometimes it’s just too darn hot to get out there and hoof it around the neighborhood, track, or office building. (Who wants to come back in from their lunchtime walk feeling and smelling like they just ran a marathon in the Sahara?)

The temptation is strong to throw in the towel on days like these, when it seems all too easy to shrug off the workout and curl up on the couch with the AC on full blast.

Fortunately, there are just as many ways to improvise. So don’t scrap your walking routine; just bring it inside.

Some options:

The treadmill. Perhaps the most obvious solution is to take to the gym or your personal treadmill and start moving. You might miss the scenery and the fresh air you get from your regular walks, but you can enjoy a little TV or listen to some music that will help you keep up your pace and avoid boredom.

The mall. This shopper’s paradise can do double duty as a walker’s wonderland. Cool in summer and warm in winter, with long, flat surfaces for power walking and plenty of people-watching opportunities, indoor malls provide a near-perfect alternative walking destination.

The office. If you’re accustomed to using part of your lunch break to get in a good brisk walk, it translates easily to the indoors. Walk the halls and climb the stairs, forging your own path throughout the building.

The house. If all else fails, housework does double duty, burning calories and making your home spic-and-span. Vacuum (twice, if you want), mop, scrub, do laundry (walking back and forth to the hamper and the washing machine to retrieve clothes instead of bringing the hamper to you). When you’re doing dishes or another task that you ordinarily stand still for, walk in place. OK, it sounds silly, but you’re in your own home … who’s going to laugh?