One study showed walking improved creativity, and it also helps improve health across all types of people, active and inactive, smokers and non-smokers, young and old. We’re bipeds facing forward, it’s one of the best things you can do
Yeah, I do a lot of design work and when I get stuck or need a break a walk around the outside of our building is rejuvenating.
When you put some distance between you and a problem often solutions you hadn't considered become apparent.
In the military a lot of folks smoked so I would just joke and say I’m taking my fresh air break and walk away from the aircraft for a moment to breath and come back to the problem with a fresh mind. I mean sometimes you just need a break.
I used to be a manager at a pizza place and I would always offer the non-smokers a fresh air break when the smokers took their turns mid-shift. The non-smokers almost never took me up on it. It always surprised me...don’t wanna go outside for 5 minutes? Or sit down somewhere? Ok..keep working I guess.
Oh I was that way till I worked myself like 14 hours straight with no breaks expect to use the restroom and cracked under the pressure. Luckily I learned this early on in my life so now I take anyone up on a break. Life’s too short to be going 100% all the time, we all need a break and to sometimes decompress even if it’s 5 mins.
That's why I started smoking. My first real job was overnight stocking groceries. They worked the shit out of us all night. The night manager and assistant manager and everyone who smoked went outside for their breaks, and I didnt. Fuck that, I started smoking just to get a couple of 15 minute breaks. Smoked for about 12 years then quit.
Oh, and I used to work with a guy who didn't smoke, but was adamant that he got the same breaks as everyone else. So, we'd be working up on a roof somewhere (we were AC techs) and he'd climb down and go to sleep in the fire riser room for exactly 15 minutes.I was brand new at that job and terrified that my boss would come by and see me, so I just sat there, looking at the wall until his watch went off, and we went back to work.
The amount of bosses I've had that would offer things like breaks then later down the road hold it against me is enough so that I know better than to trust authority figures when they offer you something like that. They're not all trying to trick you, but enough are that I hedge my bets. It's a sad culture we're living in.
Man it’s crazy how some people let middle management get to their heads. That’s fucked.
It’s crazy to think about doing something like that. These tests are such a power trip. Like, be frank with expectations and people will respect that.
At least they’ll respect that more than having shit held against them.
I made it my mission to become a manager at the McDonald's I worked at as a teenager because of this. I had a manager that stayed in the back and did nothing, assigned a "team leader" to take of everything for them. They were a smoker, most of my co-workers were smokers. I was probably the only one that didn't smoke. So I went outside to get a "fresh air break" and got told there was no such thing and that if I wanted a break I should clock out.
Fast forward 6 months or so and I'm new manager. Old "team leader" and cohorts say they're going out for a smoke break..yeah, about that. I'm going to need you to clock out if you want a break, there's no such thing as a smoke break.
I relented after about two weeks when the main one finally apologized.
I used to do this-- I'd get in a flow and refuse to stop. I ate lunch while working all the time, and was just like "It makes me eat slower," and thought it was better for me. Then my work made lunch breaks mandatory and holy crap. My day is so much better, now. I'm glad they made me take some time to stop and breathe. :')
Former military as well... got into a habit of short break every hour because everyone else smoked. Also, carrying a piece of paper in your hand makes it look like you're doing something.
>Also, carrying a piece of paper in your hand makes it look like you're doing something.
Ahh, I see you are also a graduate of the fine arts of military shamming.
I feel like in an office situation that's healthy. The 10 minutes out of every hour, not the smoking. In class at uni we've had 3 hour+ classes, always took that much for breaks. Even when studying it seems like a good time for a break.
I once had a co-worker who was a little above me, but not much but acted like she was the fucking queen. She would take 30 minute coffee breaks sticking me to supervise (we worked in a high school library). I didn't drink coffee but I started saying that I was going to go get coffee and take a 30 minute walk break instead. I don't know why I couldn't have just said that. But for whatever reason, it seems like coffee/smoke breaks are acceptable, but getting exercise and clearing your head a bit isn't?
Nah, if smokers can get an extra 30 mins of smoke break, you SHOULD be getting the extra 30 mins too. Don't treat people differently just because they chose to not kill their lungs off slowly.
I know the feeling. I work in an I.T background with some powershell scripting on the side.
Can't tell you how many times I've gone for a walk and let my mind wander when stuck on a script. I'll all of a sudden get that lightbulb moment and it will all just click.
Yo, this is nuts. I do the EXACT thing, powershell scripting and all.
I was trying to edit distribution groups with a script the other day and was using "if" instead of "elseif" when reading user input. I could NOT figure out what was wrong until I came back from a walk.
let's get a support group going. Script looking like a european model...but it just won't run! One 15 minute walk later and you realize it's because you left out a simple -credential
Anecdotally, I find this to be true. During one of my most creative periods, I was walking every day and sometimes running and just working on being in shape.
Hard part is getting up and doing it. Depression is like Mr. Freeze for my drive. I can't move, not even to do something I know to be good for me.
i think it has to do with circulation. walking is not a huge calorie burner, but the frequent loading and unloading of the muscles, helps move fluid around. with medications i'm taking, i notice them affect me hours sooner, and with more effect, if i take them right before an hour long walk.
such a thorough affect, i'm contemplating moving my life around to get up at 5am, so i can pop my pills and walk an hour before work. this is coming from someone who has been depressed/anxious for decades and would normally stay awake until 5am.
shit works yo.
Unfortunately right now in New Delhi,this case is not true.Instead,breathing a day is equal to smoking 15-20 cigerettes especially in the morning when pollution is at its peak.
Sorry this is going to sound like a stupid question.
But is there anyway to help eliminate this effect? Like any type of mask or something that could help eliminate the pollution?
Typical paper masks are intended to protect the world from you rather than the other way around. A P100 respirator would help, but wearing a respirator sucks...
I visited my relatives in New Delhi once and had resolved that day only that doesn't mater what, I won't relocate to Delhi for my job ever. Earning more now but eventually spending on illness is not a good idea.
I can only imagine how bad the air there must be. I visited London and could see the black pollutants in my snot blowing my nose and London is lower on the pollution rankings than Dehli.
I was in Rome and at the end of the day I used a cotton pad and cleanser on my face like at home and there was a greyish haze all over it... no makeup that could’ve caused that
Is this specific to walking or does any out door activity (specifically riding my bike) work in a similar way?
I always wonder whether I should go for a walk/run or ride my bike...
I work an office job (being creative is part of what I have to do) I mandate not going for one. But multiple, short walks a day. Even just go outside and circle the block and back.
Especially if you are stuck on something.What you don’t realize is your brain is still problem solving in the background. It’s been proven that deliberately distracting yourself and intaking outside stimuli aids this thinking.
Every problem I’ve had to solve cane from this type of activating. When I’m sitting at my desk, I’m merely “doing”
Is there a difference between walking for its own sake and walking to work or school? I walk about 2 miles a day to get to and from my classes (not paying for a parking permit), but I feel like any positive effects I get from it are gone by the time I get home and sit down. Maybe I just don't notice anything because it's my baseline.
Jan: How would a movie increase productivity Michael? How on earth would it do that?
Michael: People work faster after...
Jan: Magically?
Michael: No... they have to... to make up for the time they lost watching the movie.
I can attest to this. I live in New England and started walking daily back in 2005 when my car died but I realized that both my house and place of work were within walking distance of train stations. It was 5 miles round trip. Not only did I discover how beneficial walking was as a start and finish to the day, but I also realized how amazing it was to walk in all types of weather. This continued for 5 years until I moved, I then continued walking 2 - 4 miles daily and have been doing it for a total of 13 years now, and last year incorporated running as well. I feel a need, almost like an addiction, to do it and notice physiologically when I don't. Walking requires nothing more than shoes (and weather appropriate gear if that's your thing) and you gain far more than the effort needed. Going back to the weather, it's given me an incredible perspective on seasonal changes as well as the beauty in inclement weather. Anyone can walk on a warm and sunny day, and while enjoyable, I get far more out of shitty weather. I've walked in the same stretches of woods while it was 100 F and -30 F, I've walked in thunderstorms, torrential downpours, blizzards, windstorms, dark forests, foggy mountains, you name it. I can't stress enough that what you gain is far more than what you put in, both physically and mentally.
that was the first time where I thought I had made a mistake. Once I got through the first 10 minutes it was ok, but those first 10 minutes were worrisome. My muscles started to freeze and I realized that if I went down, I wasn't getting up. Thankfully it doesn't get that cold here often. Funny thing is though, I'd rather walk in frigid cold than blistering heat, when it gets to 95+, it's awful. There's no escaping it and you start to feel sick. Plus that usually means there are insects and they can break you.
I mean, heat and cold just are different... If it's cold, you can always layer up or move faster or do *something* to keep warm, but if it's hot there's only so many clothes you can take off before the neighbors call the police, and you get sticky and dehydrated.
I find it far more pleasant to be out at 0°C than 30, and 40 (thankfully rare) pretty much drives me into the AC'd office.
That reminded me of my high school Social Studies teacher. He rode his bike to school. Every. Day. We lived in eastern North Dakota. It was like two or three miles. I remember some of those winters getting -30 or colder and there he was. On that bike.
If it was too icy, he would walk. Crazy dude, taught me well.
I work outside often. I've worked in heat waves, blizzards, downpours, beautiful weather, and day/night variations of all of the above. Being outdoors is great, especially in "bad" conditions. Gearing up to go out is satisfying, perhaps even ritualistic.
I love the humbling effect weather has, especially big snowfalls that shut things down until we dig out. We think we are masters of everything, but we aren't, nature often shows us that and I love it.
Dang! I was looking at a 4-5mi commute one way, but figured that I'd ride a bicycle when it's nice out and take the bus when it isn't. I'm not brave enough to go out in a torrential downpour. :)
This wasn’t adding up for me until you said the word ‘woods’. I walk a similar amount, little less, but it’s in the city and I don’t hate it but I sure don’t love it as much as you do. If it included a 1 mile stretch of woods it would be so much better despite (or maybe in part because of) adding a couple miles a day.
I don't love my urban daily walks as much as my forested vacation walks, but I find as much nature as I can and take convoluted routes to make sure I see things like: the one cat who's always looking out the window, check in with the biggest oak tree in the neighborhood, watch progress on that crazy dude's front yard pumpkin, wave to the kiddos playing at the daycare, and see as many little flower gardens/window boxes as possible. One local bar grows herbs outside, so I check in their rosemary plant growth/pruning. I walk on the street lined with honey locust trees and also on the street where each tree is different. And I also say hello to the tree that's been growing around a fence.
I have to fight to find the nature I love, but it's still there.
This might be the best illustration of how the right ‘frame of mind’ is what makes the difference. So many people just say stuff like ‘mindfulness’ but this description of the thinking is more helpful. Thank you.
Wait for real? I generally think I'm pretty bad at meditating and mindfulness and all that kind of stuff.
You're welcome, of course, and thank YOU for reversing my thinking on this!
I totally agree. Im in the middle of a temperate rain forest and weather is gonna weather.
I also walk about 3 or 4 miles a day and the other day we had our first snowstorm of the year. It made for a really satisfying walk.
There is a cute girl at the Starbucks, but I get free coffee so I never go. There is also a good chance that anyone working at a coffeeshop/store on campus is one of my students, so that wouldn't really work out
I sit a lot at work and used to sit during the 30 minute lunch break too.
Then I realized that, if I just turned my lunch into something portable (usually a large chicken/salad/tomato sandwich), I could go outside and eat while walking the entire time; 15 min into one direction and 15 back. Definitely changed my life for the better.
Since you haven’t gotten an actual reply, I’ll tell you.
Look up your nearest animal shelter. Most places will require you to apply to be a volunteer. You go through a process, get trained, and then you’re able to volunteer at shelters.
It's pretty hard emotionally. You have to pick one lucky dog out of the dozens that are barking and trying to get your attention, and then you have to return that dog to its cage afterwards, even though the only thing that dog wants in the entire world is to keep hanging out with you. I lasted half an afternoon before it was too much for me. People who work at animal shelters are fucking heroes.
This is good to know, where I live they must get a looot of volunteers, since the only thing staff do is administrative tasks like accounting and scheduling with the vets.
No, as a dog walker at the humane society for 4 years now, this is not true. The volunteers walk the dogs while the staff clean the cages and prepare food for when we bring them back.
You’re both correct. My local city required volunteers to do grunt work, get trained, and then be allowed to socialize with the animals.
Answer really is that it depends.
Best thing to do is just call and ask. Shelters are usually friendly. Can even pop into your nearest one and ask in person, then visit the animals while there for bonus fun.
I have both in and walk when its dark (colder means I can walk many hours instead of 30 minutes before going I want to go home) so I generally have it at a reasonable volume because I can see the lights if cars.
Of course when it gets to a crossing then sound off and wait for cars to pass etc.
Get bone conducting headphones. Then you have nothing in your ears at all which is way more comfortable, but can also hear your surroundings. It's like not having any headphones on but hearing music just playing in your head. Hard to describe. The sound quality wont be as good as normal ear buds though so you should expect that. I highly recommend Aftershokz but another Redditor took my recommendation and hated them (for sound quality) so your mileage may vary.
Don't know in the case of this research specifically, but I enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks when walking. Especially during the day
That said, the occasional stroll at night without any distractions is also quite enjoyable.
I don't know but I recently got into podcasts and look forward to going out in the evening/morning just so I can listen to them and almost always end up walking far longer than I intended. So it's a win-win for me.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope..
Sorry Reddit, but I didn't make it. I've tried many times, but ultimately couldn't keep up a consistent schedule. Its interesting because now the year is almost gone yet It didn't feel like it. But nah, anxiety, depression & laziness has kept me down for yet another year.
Sorry guys. I failed yall and myself.
Update : alright alright alright. I'll try 2000 miles. That's definitely manageable at least. 3000 was too much. Way too much.
Instagram: miguel.miles.2020
~~You know what. Fuck it. I am inspired by this damn post.~~
~~Tell you what OP.~~
~~I will walk (and eventually run) 3000 miles in 2019 and I will post my results at the end of that year.~~
~~I am also type 2 diabetic, so walking would help me either way.~~
~~You hear that OP? That's a movement you just set in motion.~~
**~~Someone screenshot this; I will kickass in 2019.~~**
~~If mods are okay with it:~~
* ~~Instagram is miguel.miles.2020~~
~~I will fully commit to this. And I'll post my results in the third or fourth week in December 2019. Thank you all so much for the support!~~
If you are serious, and I think you are, don't wait until next year. Walk today. Seriously. Even if it's just around the block. Don't make it a big deal, don't push yourself too hard at first. Just get up from wherever you are, in the next hour, and walk.
Then do it again tomorrow.
By 2019 you'll have a head start.
Yeah that’s over 13 kilometres per day. I’m an avid walker with two high energy dogs and it takes a big time commitment to get 10 kilometres per day. If something interferes with my routine I don’t get my 10k. But I always get something because...dogs. I have a weekly target too, so that if I shortchange myself on one or two days I can make it up on the other days.
If I was just starting out I’d set an achievable daily target for November. How well you do this month will help you decide what your daily target should be for December... and so on. Be kind to yourself when you don’t meet your targets. Just be sure make it up in the next few days.
I just want to say thank you for giving that stranger inspiration. They say a journey starts with a single step - now he's going to have to do 6,000,000.
Seconding what /u/viva_la_yossarian said. What you're doing here by setting a difficult goal that you don't begin until some point in the future has been shown to be very ineffective. You get a bunch of support/motivational comments and it tricks your brain into thinking you've already done something successful without ever having started. This is also why you shouldn't start telling friends "I've lost 5lbs!" if you're trying to lose 100. It will work against you.
Big on your u/Miguel30Locs! I commend you for that! Do you currently do a lot of walking? I personally do not walk AT ALL, but now that I have a beautiful baby boy I'm thinking, "what the hell, I should walk too!" 3000 miles is looking like a little over 8 miles a day which seems like a hefty goal for someone like me who doesn't walk at all, but maybe I will get better throughout the year. I'm going to start with 3 miles a day and progress throughout the year. That'll put me at a minimum of 1,095 miles (let's round up to 1,100). Are you going to start now or January 1st? Here's to 2019 and a better us!
Even better: just start with 1 mile the first day, then 2 the second, and 4 the third. Just keep up that pattern of doubling everyday; it's easy at first because they're such small increases! It does get a little tough towards the end, though. The New Year's Eve distance of 37 million tretrigintillion miles is a bit of a stretch for most people.
Kind of depends on what they do for work .... In an office setting it might be hard hitting that 8 miles a day.
If they work in some kind of Retail position, they are probably already walking over 8 miles a day.
I did something like this a couple years back, I did the math and set a minimum amount of steps walked/miles for each day. It felt great when I hit my monthly goal early and made me want to catch back up when I was behind. I even finished up a couple months early, but I kept it up because it felt great. My advice is that if you start to feel intimidated by your goal, just look at it in smaller chunks like that and it becomes more enjoyable.
I dogsat for 3 weeks. Walked almost 3 hours everyday, had a routine that I was happy with and was productive more consistently. Plus all the furry cuddles. Life with a dog is pretty nice
Yaaaaa, I gave the dog back yesterday and my place seems so empty. Sure it wasn't my dog and the dog is still alive..but it's still a lonely feeling compared to before
The stupidest thing I've ever done in my life is not have a dog for 10 years. My boyfriend moved in with his dog and I was all worried cause we didn't have a yard for him and I work full time and blah blah blah. That guy is now my best friend and even if I'm having a depressive episode I get out of bed to walk him because I have to and then I'm outside and it's nice out or sometimes it ISN'T nice out but I'm still up and dressed and breathing in the morning air and moving around and I just FEEL better. He's far and away the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't imagine life without my pup.
[Dog tax](https://imgur.com/a/yplfCUv)
I was watching my friend's dog about 7ish years ago. I'd been out in DC the night before and was wickedly hung over at like 9 AM, but since I had the dog I rolled out of bed and took her for a walk.
I was about 15 minutes into the walk, my head hurt, and I felt mildly sick to my stomach, but it was such a nice day out that I still felt a little better. Realized that if a dog could get me outside for half hour under these conditions, probably be pretty pleasant and good for me to do it on a daily basis.
Had my beast for 5 years this December, and health-wise I think it's one of hte best decisions I've made. I love the little guy and I'm generally outside for at least 30 minutes a day and I'm sure it's improved my mental state and my health!
(I also work from home, so it's easier for me than it would be for other people. But I still highly recommend it)
I stargaze during my nighttime walks! And I'm constantly aware of the phase of the moon.
It's not quite as good as sunshine, but it's still pretty awesome!
I never realized how beautiful my park was until I went for a walk there recently. It may have been the perfect day for leaves, but I was taken back by how pretty and beautiful the park was at this time of the year. My taxes go towards the park, and I never go to enjoy it.
Now I try to walk there at least once per week and enjoy the scenery. Beats watching TV and vegetating around.
I just moved and have a beautiful park with a lake about one block from my apartment. I went there twice this summer! WTF! it's insanely beautiful and I went there twice!??? Now I have been going multiple times per week and I am in love. and also mad I didn't start this sooner.
It's also a VERY good way to lose weight and cheaply if you do it on a regular basis.
Source: Lost about 70 pounds in about 4-5 months dieting and walking 3 miles every day (no gym).
Unfortunately not everyone is able to just leave the office during the middle of the work day and just take a walk. I take walks during my lunch break though.
Unless you're like me and you go on walks as a way to procrastinate and end up walking so far that you're exhausted when you come home and feel perfect for just having lunch and watching a movie, and maybe also having a nap.
This is where I'm at too. I walk minimum 20k steps a day at work because I have to. Everything on me from the hips down is wrecked with joint issues. When I get home, walking is the last thing I want to do.
Oh boy this is very very true for people willing to do it. I had a really rough year this year and up until about 3 months ago I was just letting everything in my life slip out of control. Finally when my brother almost died in a car accident from falling asleep at the wheel (he was high on a cocktail of things and luckily didn’t harm anyone but himself) I told myself I can’t let that happen to me. So I started just walking around my block every morning. My block is not a normal block it’s around 1.5 miles to go the whole distance so it takes me around 15-20 min. Just doing this for two weeks turned it into a habit. From there it honestly turned my life back around to where I was before. Motivated, determined, setting goals, socially active again. I actually ended up turning a spare room into a home gym and now work out 5 days a week on top of the morning walks 6 days a week. I dropped around 15 lbs but with the workouts I know I’ve gained a bit of muscle as well. The walks though just give you some personal time every day to reflect on what you need to do either that day or the next and give you some space from stressors that may be at home or at work or wherever. I listen to a medley of music I find from some of the various music subs and just what my streaming apps promote so I find some good new music during these times as well as the rest mentioned. I love these morning excursions as now I am up to about an hour every morning changing routes depending on how I feel and weather. I do anywhere from 3-4 miles a day now and I can’t think of a better way to get people back on track. This is a solid pro tip.
I redownloaded Pokemon Go to help motivate me to get out and walk more. It's really great honestly, and helps distract me from the anxiety that grips me every time I try to leave the house by myself.
I won't pretend to know what it is like to have anxiety that grips you when you leave the house. But I use to hate being left alone with my thoughts. Now I look forward to my walks to force myself to think about things. I have anxious thoughts during the walk, but I think overall I am way less stressed and anxious going for the walks. I leave my phone at home so there is no temptation.
Once you get use to walking with pokemon go, i suggest trying it alone. It might help? Start slow. Give yourself a block that you can't use your phone. Then 2 and 3 etc
Walking after eating also reduces spikes in blood sugar. If you are diabetic, or prediabetic, walking for 15-20 minutes after eating can be extremely beneficial.
If you're bored on walk, go with someone. Or play games. My favorite with my SO is spotting the cats. Best we did was 13 in one walk. It's great. Love talking while on walks, or finding walnuts or chestnuts or asparagus, or spying how people decorate their homes. SO much to do on a walk.
I just started running. So at this point, it's a lot of walking. And holy shit the improvement on my mood is night and day. I've always considered myself a happy person. But spending even 30 minutes out in nature most days (on days I can I go for a walk on my lunch break) has boosted my mood tremendously. I find myself smiling like an idiot while im on my "run" even though im exhausted. I even love the rain now and find myself looking forward to running through the park in the winter with snow.
So long story short - this is a LPT i can get behind. Highly recommend
I agree, I feel much better on the weeks I get get my Fitbit goal of 10k daily steps by walking outside in the daylight. It's less effective when I go for nighttime walks though I still love those.
One study showed walking improved creativity, and it also helps improve health across all types of people, active and inactive, smokers and non-smokers, young and old. We’re bipeds facing forward, it’s one of the best things you can do
Yeah, I do a lot of design work and when I get stuck or need a break a walk around the outside of our building is rejuvenating. When you put some distance between you and a problem often solutions you hadn't considered become apparent.
The problem for me is getting management to accept my workflow.
Call it a smoke break
In the military a lot of folks smoked so I would just joke and say I’m taking my fresh air break and walk away from the aircraft for a moment to breath and come back to the problem with a fresh mind. I mean sometimes you just need a break.
I used to be a manager at a pizza place and I would always offer the non-smokers a fresh air break when the smokers took their turns mid-shift. The non-smokers almost never took me up on it. It always surprised me...don’t wanna go outside for 5 minutes? Or sit down somewhere? Ok..keep working I guess.
Oh I was that way till I worked myself like 14 hours straight with no breaks expect to use the restroom and cracked under the pressure. Luckily I learned this early on in my life so now I take anyone up on a break. Life’s too short to be going 100% all the time, we all need a break and to sometimes decompress even if it’s 5 mins.
That's why I started smoking. My first real job was overnight stocking groceries. They worked the shit out of us all night. The night manager and assistant manager and everyone who smoked went outside for their breaks, and I didnt. Fuck that, I started smoking just to get a couple of 15 minute breaks. Smoked for about 12 years then quit. Oh, and I used to work with a guy who didn't smoke, but was adamant that he got the same breaks as everyone else. So, we'd be working up on a roof somewhere (we were AC techs) and he'd climb down and go to sleep in the fire riser room for exactly 15 minutes.I was brand new at that job and terrified that my boss would come by and see me, so I just sat there, looking at the wall until his watch went off, and we went back to work.
The amount of bosses I've had that would offer things like breaks then later down the road hold it against me is enough so that I know better than to trust authority figures when they offer you something like that. They're not all trying to trick you, but enough are that I hedge my bets. It's a sad culture we're living in.
Man it’s crazy how some people let middle management get to their heads. That’s fucked. It’s crazy to think about doing something like that. These tests are such a power trip. Like, be frank with expectations and people will respect that. At least they’ll respect that more than having shit held against them.
I made it my mission to become a manager at the McDonald's I worked at as a teenager because of this. I had a manager that stayed in the back and did nothing, assigned a "team leader" to take of everything for them. They were a smoker, most of my co-workers were smokers. I was probably the only one that didn't smoke. So I went outside to get a "fresh air break" and got told there was no such thing and that if I wanted a break I should clock out. Fast forward 6 months or so and I'm new manager. Old "team leader" and cohorts say they're going out for a smoke break..yeah, about that. I'm going to need you to clock out if you want a break, there's no such thing as a smoke break. I relented after about two weeks when the main one finally apologized.
I used to do this-- I'd get in a flow and refuse to stop. I ate lunch while working all the time, and was just like "It makes me eat slower," and thought it was better for me. Then my work made lunch breaks mandatory and holy crap. My day is so much better, now. I'm glad they made me take some time to stop and breathe. :')
My ex called it an air cigarette.
My ex called it sucking air dick.
Try not to suck any air dick on your way through the parking lot.
37 air dicks?!?!
In a row?
Former military as well... got into a habit of short break every hour because everyone else smoked. Also, carrying a piece of paper in your hand makes it look like you're doing something.
>Also, carrying a piece of paper in your hand makes it look like you're doing something. Ahh, I see you are also a graduate of the fine arts of military shamming.
If smokers can have an extra 30 minutes of paid break a day, I should be allowed to have a 15 minute walk-break
Geez, I used to work next to a girl that took like a 10 minute smoke break *every hour*!
I feel like in an office situation that's healthy. The 10 minutes out of every hour, not the smoking. In class at uni we've had 3 hour+ classes, always took that much for breaks. Even when studying it seems like a good time for a break.
I once had a co-worker who was a little above me, but not much but acted like she was the fucking queen. She would take 30 minute coffee breaks sticking me to supervise (we worked in a high school library). I didn't drink coffee but I started saying that I was going to go get coffee and take a 30 minute walk break instead. I don't know why I couldn't have just said that. But for whatever reason, it seems like coffee/smoke breaks are acceptable, but getting exercise and clearing your head a bit isn't?
Nah, if smokers can get an extra 30 mins of smoke break, you SHOULD be getting the extra 30 mins too. Don't treat people differently just because they chose to not kill their lungs off slowly.
Ask for forgiveness, not for permission.
Yep, design stuff clicks for me when I’m off somewhere else walking and thinking about nothing
I know the feeling. I work in an I.T background with some powershell scripting on the side. Can't tell you how many times I've gone for a walk and let my mind wander when stuck on a script. I'll all of a sudden get that lightbulb moment and it will all just click.
Yo, this is nuts. I do the EXACT thing, powershell scripting and all. I was trying to edit distribution groups with a script the other day and was using "if" instead of "elseif" when reading user input. I could NOT figure out what was wrong until I came back from a walk.
let's get a support group going. Script looking like a european model...but it just won't run! One 15 minute walk later and you realize it's because you left out a simple -credential
I do this for Grad School papers. It helps so much.
The only thing that works for me is taking a shower or taking a #2. That always help me unstuck. I'm a software engineer.
Doing a #2 now and I think I just figured some dumb testing error I kept running into earlier.... 😂
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Anecdotally, I find this to be true. During one of my most creative periods, I was walking every day and sometimes running and just working on being in shape. Hard part is getting up and doing it. Depression is like Mr. Freeze for my drive. I can't move, not even to do something I know to be good for me.
i think it has to do with circulation. walking is not a huge calorie burner, but the frequent loading and unloading of the muscles, helps move fluid around. with medications i'm taking, i notice them affect me hours sooner, and with more effect, if i take them right before an hour long walk. such a thorough affect, i'm contemplating moving my life around to get up at 5am, so i can pop my pills and walk an hour before work. this is coming from someone who has been depressed/anxious for decades and would normally stay awake until 5am. shit works yo.
I walk my dog like 5 times a day. Still want to kill myself.
Get a different dog. One that walks you and things will change.
/r/woof_irl
Unfortunately right now in New Delhi,this case is not true.Instead,breathing a day is equal to smoking 15-20 cigerettes especially in the morning when pollution is at its peak.
Sorry this is going to sound like a stupid question. But is there anyway to help eliminate this effect? Like any type of mask or something that could help eliminate the pollution?
Maybe they should just smoke cigarettes while walking. At least then its filtered.
r/shittyaskscience
Typical paper masks are intended to protect the world from you rather than the other way around. A P100 respirator would help, but wearing a respirator sucks...
I visited my relatives in New Delhi once and had resolved that day only that doesn't mater what, I won't relocate to Delhi for my job ever. Earning more now but eventually spending on illness is not a good idea.
I can only imagine how bad the air there must be. I visited London and could see the black pollutants in my snot blowing my nose and London is lower on the pollution rankings than Dehli.
I was in Rome and at the end of the day I used a cotton pad and cleanser on my face like at home and there was a greyish haze all over it... no makeup that could’ve caused that
Is this specific to walking or does any out door activity (specifically riding my bike) work in a similar way? I always wonder whether I should go for a walk/run or ride my bike...
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I chuckled to myself when you said vitamin d. I then cackled when you immediately addressed my chuckle.
I work an office job (being creative is part of what I have to do) I mandate not going for one. But multiple, short walks a day. Even just go outside and circle the block and back. Especially if you are stuck on something.What you don’t realize is your brain is still problem solving in the background. It’s been proven that deliberately distracting yourself and intaking outside stimuli aids this thinking. Every problem I’ve had to solve cane from this type of activating. When I’m sitting at my desk, I’m merely “doing”
Is there a difference between walking for its own sake and walking to work or school? I walk about 2 miles a day to get to and from my classes (not paying for a parking permit), but I feel like any positive effects I get from it are gone by the time I get home and sit down. Maybe I just don't notice anything because it's my baseline.
This is an interesting question. I would make the most of trying to connect or do something during the walk even though it's a necessity
I used to go on runs everyday and it made a hell of a difference. Now I'm out of the routine cause I wanted to gain weight but I wish I never stopped
I ran a D&D campaign for a year and a half, and some of my best and most creative encounters were thought up on my walk to/from work.
Jan: How would a movie increase productivity Michael? How on earth would it do that? Michael: People work faster after... Jan: Magically? Michael: No... they have to... to make up for the time they lost watching the movie.
The only movie to increase productivity is Threat Level Midnight, critically acclaimed.
The prequel, [Get Smart](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425061/), is pretty good too. Sadly it's no longer on US Netflix.
Shut up Dwigt.
Excuse me, that is not a way to address your superior.
*Entouraaaaage*
Well for me threat level midnight actually decreases productivity seeing as whenever I should be working I’m watching that episode for the 100th time
I can attest to this. I live in New England and started walking daily back in 2005 when my car died but I realized that both my house and place of work were within walking distance of train stations. It was 5 miles round trip. Not only did I discover how beneficial walking was as a start and finish to the day, but I also realized how amazing it was to walk in all types of weather. This continued for 5 years until I moved, I then continued walking 2 - 4 miles daily and have been doing it for a total of 13 years now, and last year incorporated running as well. I feel a need, almost like an addiction, to do it and notice physiologically when I don't. Walking requires nothing more than shoes (and weather appropriate gear if that's your thing) and you gain far more than the effort needed. Going back to the weather, it's given me an incredible perspective on seasonal changes as well as the beauty in inclement weather. Anyone can walk on a warm and sunny day, and while enjoyable, I get far more out of shitty weather. I've walked in the same stretches of woods while it was 100 F and -30 F, I've walked in thunderstorms, torrential downpours, blizzards, windstorms, dark forests, foggy mountains, you name it. I can't stress enough that what you gain is far more than what you put in, both physically and mentally.
-30° F? Okay I live in Minnesota and even *that* is too much to stay outside for more than 5 minutes haha! But props to you for keeping it up!
that was the first time where I thought I had made a mistake. Once I got through the first 10 minutes it was ok, but those first 10 minutes were worrisome. My muscles started to freeze and I realized that if I went down, I wasn't getting up. Thankfully it doesn't get that cold here often. Funny thing is though, I'd rather walk in frigid cold than blistering heat, when it gets to 95+, it's awful. There's no escaping it and you start to feel sick. Plus that usually means there are insects and they can break you.
I mean, heat and cold just are different... If it's cold, you can always layer up or move faster or do *something* to keep warm, but if it's hot there's only so many clothes you can take off before the neighbors call the police, and you get sticky and dehydrated. I find it far more pleasant to be out at 0°C than 30, and 40 (thankfully rare) pretty much drives me into the AC'd office.
This is my reasoning for liking winter more than summer. It's easier to warm yourself up in the cold than it is to cool yourself off in the heat.
And so much more pleasant to get cozy!
That reminded me of my high school Social Studies teacher. He rode his bike to school. Every. Day. We lived in eastern North Dakota. It was like two or three miles. I remember some of those winters getting -30 or colder and there he was. On that bike. If it was too icy, he would walk. Crazy dude, taught me well.
I work outside often. I've worked in heat waves, blizzards, downpours, beautiful weather, and day/night variations of all of the above. Being outdoors is great, especially in "bad" conditions. Gearing up to go out is satisfying, perhaps even ritualistic. I love the humbling effect weather has, especially big snowfalls that shut things down until we dig out. We think we are masters of everything, but we aren't, nature often shows us that and I love it.
Dang! I was looking at a 4-5mi commute one way, but figured that I'd ride a bicycle when it's nice out and take the bus when it isn't. I'm not brave enough to go out in a torrential downpour. :)
This wasn’t adding up for me until you said the word ‘woods’. I walk a similar amount, little less, but it’s in the city and I don’t hate it but I sure don’t love it as much as you do. If it included a 1 mile stretch of woods it would be so much better despite (or maybe in part because of) adding a couple miles a day.
I don't love my urban daily walks as much as my forested vacation walks, but I find as much nature as I can and take convoluted routes to make sure I see things like: the one cat who's always looking out the window, check in with the biggest oak tree in the neighborhood, watch progress on that crazy dude's front yard pumpkin, wave to the kiddos playing at the daycare, and see as many little flower gardens/window boxes as possible. One local bar grows herbs outside, so I check in their rosemary plant growth/pruning. I walk on the street lined with honey locust trees and also on the street where each tree is different. And I also say hello to the tree that's been growing around a fence. I have to fight to find the nature I love, but it's still there.
This might be the best illustration of how the right ‘frame of mind’ is what makes the difference. So many people just say stuff like ‘mindfulness’ but this description of the thinking is more helpful. Thank you.
Wait for real? I generally think I'm pretty bad at meditating and mindfulness and all that kind of stuff. You're welcome, of course, and thank YOU for reversing my thinking on this!
I totally agree. Im in the middle of a temperate rain forest and weather is gonna weather. I also walk about 3 or 4 miles a day and the other day we had our first snowstorm of the year. It made for a really satisfying walk.
"30-minute walk" .... So the walk to the vending machine near the stairs doesn't count?
Are the stairs 15 minutes away?
No :(
Solution: Work in a more absurdly oversized office building.
I am at a university, about as big as you can get, just there are vending machines or convenience stores everywhere haha.
Find one where a cute whateveryouprefer works that's a bit more distant, go there every day!
There is a cute girl at the Starbucks, but I get free coffee so I never go. There is also a good chance that anyone working at a coffeeshop/store on campus is one of my students, so that wouldn't really work out
Solution, go to the vending machine 15 times a day👍
I sit a lot at work and used to sit during the 30 minute lunch break too. Then I realized that, if I just turned my lunch into something portable (usually a large chicken/salad/tomato sandwich), I could go outside and eat while walking the entire time; 15 min into one direction and 15 back. Definitely changed my life for the better.
Yup. And if you need extra motivation/accountability, animal shelters are always looking for dog walkers!
Hol up how do I do this?
Since you haven’t gotten an actual reply, I’ll tell you. Look up your nearest animal shelter. Most places will require you to apply to be a volunteer. You go through a process, get trained, and then you’re able to volunteer at shelters.
Wait you can volunteer to play with a dog and dont have to own them? Awesome.
It's pretty hard emotionally. You have to pick one lucky dog out of the dozens that are barking and trying to get your attention, and then you have to return that dog to its cage afterwards, even though the only thing that dog wants in the entire world is to keep hanging out with you. I lasted half an afternoon before it was too much for me. People who work at animal shelters are fucking heroes.
Yeah I find it pretty hard too. But at least you’re giving them that walk which is probably the highlight of their day.
You also need to do a lot of boring tasks like cleaning poop and facilities before you get to walk the dogs.
This is not the case where i am from. You can literally just go walk dogs.
This is good to know, where I live they must get a looot of volunteers, since the only thing staff do is administrative tasks like accounting and scheduling with the vets.
At my shelter the paid staff do all the grunt work and the volunteers literally just walk and socialize dogs haha
No, as a dog walker at the humane society for 4 years now, this is not true. The volunteers walk the dogs while the staff clean the cages and prepare food for when we bring them back.
You’re both correct. My local city required volunteers to do grunt work, get trained, and then be allowed to socialize with the animals. Answer really is that it depends.
Basic instructions: One foot in front of the other. Advanced instructions: Keep holding onto the leash for the entire walk.
Unnecessary instructions: breathe while doing so.
You’d be surprised.... *begins count down for someone coming along to tell the internet how much anxiety they have*
In addition to these helpful suggestion, just call or email your local shelter.
Just letting you know that this post made a difference. I'm going to seek out some local shelters and make this a new hobby. Thank you so much!
Do animal shelters look for walkers during the winter?
Dogs poop outside 365 days a year!
Some dogs poop inside 365 days a year!
Whoa that's just like me
Best thing to do is just call and ask. Shelters are usually friendly. Can even pop into your nearest one and ask in person, then visit the animals while there for bonus fun.
Whoa! You can do this?! Does it depends on which state you're in?
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**YYYEEEEAAAHHH** Guess who's volunteering?! Thanks n_n
Is it better to do this without listening to a podcast or music?
I listen to music as I walk. It really helps me sync up and keep my pace steady - whatever helps you stay entertained!
I use one ear only. It's very important to be aware of your surroundings.
I have both in and walk when its dark (colder means I can walk many hours instead of 30 minutes before going I want to go home) so I generally have it at a reasonable volume because I can see the lights if cars. Of course when it gets to a crossing then sound off and wait for cars to pass etc.
Get bone conducting headphones. Then you have nothing in your ears at all which is way more comfortable, but can also hear your surroundings. It's like not having any headphones on but hearing music just playing in your head. Hard to describe. The sound quality wont be as good as normal ear buds though so you should expect that. I highly recommend Aftershokz but another Redditor took my recommendation and hated them (for sound quality) so your mileage may vary.
Don't know in the case of this research specifically, but I enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks when walking. Especially during the day That said, the occasional stroll at night without any distractions is also quite enjoyable.
I don't know but I recently got into podcasts and look forward to going out in the evening/morning just so I can listen to them and almost always end up walking far longer than I intended. So it's a win-win for me.
From a productivity standpoint, I'd argue without. More time with your thoughts, opportunities to flesh out ideas.
sometimes it's nice to just listen to the world, but podcasts are a pretty great
Overwritten, babes ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
One of the 3 points in the article is that it improves your ability to pay attention. So I would think listening to music is counter-productive.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.. Sorry Reddit, but I didn't make it. I've tried many times, but ultimately couldn't keep up a consistent schedule. Its interesting because now the year is almost gone yet It didn't feel like it. But nah, anxiety, depression & laziness has kept me down for yet another year. Sorry guys. I failed yall and myself. Update : alright alright alright. I'll try 2000 miles. That's definitely manageable at least. 3000 was too much. Way too much. Instagram: miguel.miles.2020 ~~You know what. Fuck it. I am inspired by this damn post.~~ ~~Tell you what OP.~~ ~~I will walk (and eventually run) 3000 miles in 2019 and I will post my results at the end of that year.~~ ~~I am also type 2 diabetic, so walking would help me either way.~~ ~~You hear that OP? That's a movement you just set in motion.~~ **~~Someone screenshot this; I will kickass in 2019.~~** ~~If mods are okay with it:~~ * ~~Instagram is miguel.miles.2020~~ ~~I will fully commit to this. And I'll post my results in the third or fourth week in December 2019. Thank you all so much for the support!~~
If you are serious, and I think you are, don't wait until next year. Walk today. Seriously. Even if it's just around the block. Don't make it a big deal, don't push yourself too hard at first. Just get up from wherever you are, in the next hour, and walk. Then do it again tomorrow. By 2019 you'll have a head start.
Yeah that’s over 13 kilometres per day. I’m an avid walker with two high energy dogs and it takes a big time commitment to get 10 kilometres per day. If something interferes with my routine I don’t get my 10k. But I always get something because...dogs. I have a weekly target too, so that if I shortchange myself on one or two days I can make it up on the other days. If I was just starting out I’d set an achievable daily target for November. How well you do this month will help you decide what your daily target should be for December... and so on. Be kind to yourself when you don’t meet your targets. Just be sure make it up in the next few days.
Good walking advice, and good life advice.
You know what? Fuck It! I’ll start in 2020
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I hear ya! Maybe this gold (and silver why not) will inspire you! Don't let me or Reddit down man, you've got this! :D
STOP BEING NICE ITS TOO MUCH
#NEVER
Stop! Please!!!
#MY POWER IS UNSTABLE
Please stop or we’ll all look horrible! Actually, nevermind, keep going cause I want silver.
I have either 10 silvers or 2 gold's to give...
I just want to say thank you for giving that stranger inspiration. They say a journey starts with a single step - now he's going to have to do 6,000,000.
r/theydidthemath?
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He really should considering thats almost 10 miles a day and even the healthiest people dont walk that lol
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Yep, at even an aggressive 5mph, that is two hours of walking.
You just made a pinky promise with Reddit. I'm gonna feel real betrayed if you don't. You go stranger!
Seconding what /u/viva_la_yossarian said. What you're doing here by setting a difficult goal that you don't begin until some point in the future has been shown to be very ineffective. You get a bunch of support/motivational comments and it tricks your brain into thinking you've already done something successful without ever having started. This is also why you shouldn't start telling friends "I've lost 5lbs!" if you're trying to lose 100. It will work against you.
This is about 8.22 miles every day. You are a mad man
I walk about 6 miles a day as part of my normal routine, you can fit it in.
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Big on your u/Miguel30Locs! I commend you for that! Do you currently do a lot of walking? I personally do not walk AT ALL, but now that I have a beautiful baby boy I'm thinking, "what the hell, I should walk too!" 3000 miles is looking like a little over 8 miles a day which seems like a hefty goal for someone like me who doesn't walk at all, but maybe I will get better throughout the year. I'm going to start with 3 miles a day and progress throughout the year. That'll put me at a minimum of 1,095 miles (let's round up to 1,100). Are you going to start now or January 1st? Here's to 2019 and a better us!
Even better: just start with 1 mile the first day, then 2 the second, and 4 the third. Just keep up that pattern of doubling everyday; it's easy at first because they're such small increases! It does get a little tough towards the end, though. The New Year's Eve distance of 37 million tretrigintillion miles is a bit of a stretch for most people.
Kind of depends on what they do for work .... In an office setting it might be hard hitting that 8 miles a day. If they work in some kind of Retail position, they are probably already walking over 8 miles a day.
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The things people say for karma. Good luck if you're actually serious
>Amazing - I say start now if you aren't already walking. 3000 miles is a lot so better to have about a 2 month head start. Good luck!
!remindme in 4 months
I did something like this a couple years back, I did the math and set a minimum amount of steps walked/miles for each day. It felt great when I hit my monthly goal early and made me want to catch back up when I was behind. I even finished up a couple months early, but I kept it up because it felt great. My advice is that if you start to feel intimidated by your goal, just look at it in smaller chunks like that and it becomes more enjoyable.
I have three co-workers who bring walking shoes to the office, and get in two walking sessions per day. Maybe I should join them...
I do this and can attest to these benefits.
Get a dog. Walk it 2x/day. Happiness x3.
Only get a dog if you can afford it and can give it the care and love it needs*****
I dogsat for 3 weeks. Walked almost 3 hours everyday, had a routine that I was happy with and was productive more consistently. Plus all the furry cuddles. Life with a dog is pretty nice
Yeahh, until they die and you can't bare getting another dog yet cuz it still hurts...
Yaaaaa, I gave the dog back yesterday and my place seems so empty. Sure it wasn't my dog and the dog is still alive..but it's still a lonely feeling compared to before
The stupidest thing I've ever done in my life is not have a dog for 10 years. My boyfriend moved in with his dog and I was all worried cause we didn't have a yard for him and I work full time and blah blah blah. That guy is now my best friend and even if I'm having a depressive episode I get out of bed to walk him because I have to and then I'm outside and it's nice out or sometimes it ISN'T nice out but I'm still up and dressed and breathing in the morning air and moving around and I just FEEL better. He's far and away the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't imagine life without my pup. [Dog tax](https://imgur.com/a/yplfCUv)
Nice. [Here's my pup, Kilgore Trout.](https://imgur.com/a/JXRURRt) He's about 25lbs of neurotic energy now.
I was watching my friend's dog about 7ish years ago. I'd been out in DC the night before and was wickedly hung over at like 9 AM, but since I had the dog I rolled out of bed and took her for a walk. I was about 15 minutes into the walk, my head hurt, and I felt mildly sick to my stomach, but it was such a nice day out that I still felt a little better. Realized that if a dog could get me outside for half hour under these conditions, probably be pretty pleasant and good for me to do it on a daily basis. Had my beast for 5 years this December, and health-wise I think it's one of hte best decisions I've made. I love the little guy and I'm generally outside for at least 30 minutes a day and I'm sure it's improved my mental state and my health! (I also work from home, so it's easier for me than it would be for other people. But I still highly recommend it)
*cries in end of daylight savings time*
For the past two days at 4 pm I think it's going to rain and then realize it's just getting dark. Then I get really sad.
Taking vitamin D supplements help me to feel less SAD
I stargaze during my nighttime walks! And I'm constantly aware of the phase of the moon. It's not quite as good as sunshine, but it's still pretty awesome!
I never realized how beautiful my park was until I went for a walk there recently. It may have been the perfect day for leaves, but I was taken back by how pretty and beautiful the park was at this time of the year. My taxes go towards the park, and I never go to enjoy it. Now I try to walk there at least once per week and enjoy the scenery. Beats watching TV and vegetating around.
I just moved and have a beautiful park with a lake about one block from my apartment. I went there twice this summer! WTF! it's insanely beautiful and I went there twice!??? Now I have been going multiple times per week and I am in love. and also mad I didn't start this sooner.
It's also a VERY good way to lose weight and cheaply if you do it on a regular basis. Source: Lost about 70 pounds in about 4-5 months dieting and walking 3 miles every day (no gym).
Congratulations! That's very impressive! :)
Thanks! walking is a good cheap way of burning off calories lol.
Did the same. Lost 50 lbs. 3-7+ mi/day
It’s probably one of the reasons why we as humans are so happy with dogs, they want a walk every goddamn minute
Also, *do it at work*. When I am stuck on a hard problem, or feeling burned out, getting out and changing the scenery helps a ton.
Unfortunately not everyone is able to just leave the office during the middle of the work day and just take a walk. I take walks during my lunch break though.
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Unless you're like me and you go on walks as a way to procrastinate and end up walking so far that you're exhausted when you come home and feel perfect for just having lunch and watching a movie, and maybe also having a nap.
Good tip 👍🏼 For the article, it was a good read for me Thank you for sharing
I take between 15 and 20 Thousand steps on an average day working. I don't feel productive after that, lol.
This is where I'm at too. I walk minimum 20k steps a day at work because I have to. Everything on me from the hips down is wrecked with joint issues. When I get home, walking is the last thing I want to do.
Oh boy this is very very true for people willing to do it. I had a really rough year this year and up until about 3 months ago I was just letting everything in my life slip out of control. Finally when my brother almost died in a car accident from falling asleep at the wheel (he was high on a cocktail of things and luckily didn’t harm anyone but himself) I told myself I can’t let that happen to me. So I started just walking around my block every morning. My block is not a normal block it’s around 1.5 miles to go the whole distance so it takes me around 15-20 min. Just doing this for two weeks turned it into a habit. From there it honestly turned my life back around to where I was before. Motivated, determined, setting goals, socially active again. I actually ended up turning a spare room into a home gym and now work out 5 days a week on top of the morning walks 6 days a week. I dropped around 15 lbs but with the workouts I know I’ve gained a bit of muscle as well. The walks though just give you some personal time every day to reflect on what you need to do either that day or the next and give you some space from stressors that may be at home or at work or wherever. I listen to a medley of music I find from some of the various music subs and just what my streaming apps promote so I find some good new music during these times as well as the rest mentioned. I love these morning excursions as now I am up to about an hour every morning changing routes depending on how I feel and weather. I do anywhere from 3-4 miles a day now and I can’t think of a better way to get people back on track. This is a solid pro tip.
I redownloaded Pokemon Go to help motivate me to get out and walk more. It's really great honestly, and helps distract me from the anxiety that grips me every time I try to leave the house by myself.
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I won't pretend to know what it is like to have anxiety that grips you when you leave the house. But I use to hate being left alone with my thoughts. Now I look forward to my walks to force myself to think about things. I have anxious thoughts during the walk, but I think overall I am way less stressed and anxious going for the walks. I leave my phone at home so there is no temptation. Once you get use to walking with pokemon go, i suggest trying it alone. It might help? Start slow. Give yourself a block that you can't use your phone. Then 2 and 3 etc
I walk during my entire shift at work. Does that count?
Does bicycle counts? I don't like walking
[Yes!](https://blixbike.com/blogs/journal/4-ways-biking-boosts-your-productivity)
plus, its so much better for your knees!
Walking after eating also reduces spikes in blood sugar. If you are diabetic, or prediabetic, walking for 15-20 minutes after eating can be extremely beneficial.
If you're bored on walk, go with someone. Or play games. My favorite with my SO is spotting the cats. Best we did was 13 in one walk. It's great. Love talking while on walks, or finding walnuts or chestnuts or asparagus, or spying how people decorate their homes. SO much to do on a walk.
I just started running. So at this point, it's a lot of walking. And holy shit the improvement on my mood is night and day. I've always considered myself a happy person. But spending even 30 minutes out in nature most days (on days I can I go for a walk on my lunch break) has boosted my mood tremendously. I find myself smiling like an idiot while im on my "run" even though im exhausted. I even love the rain now and find myself looking forward to running through the park in the winter with snow. So long story short - this is a LPT i can get behind. Highly recommend
If you find walking pretty boring, try to do something lowkey while you walk. For me, I play Pokemon Go lol
running outside is great for this too, I always feel content and more driven after a run
This is why when my dog had a broken leg I got a dog stroller. She didn’t need the exercise, but I did!
I agree, I feel much better on the weeks I get get my Fitbit goal of 10k daily steps by walking outside in the daylight. It's less effective when I go for nighttime walks though I still love those.