Less than three weeks after breast cancer surgery my wife ran a half-marathon through a Nor’easter along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The rain was torrential, the wind was strong, and the temperature was cold. Other than giving birth to six children, this was Ava’s rock star moment!

The previous weekend she had also run a half-marathon…which was less than two weeks after surgery. Crazy, right? Not at all.

Ava loves running!

But, that’s probably obvious. You don’t run in those conditions unless your passion runs deep. And, there’s also all the training that takes place before any race. Ava’s been doing this for years.

Finding an activity you enjoy is key to building sustainable fitness into your life. The way Ava feels about running is how I feel about walking. Since March 23, 2018 I’ve put at least 20,000 steps on my Fitbit every day without a break.

One of the things I LOVE about walking is my mind is free to wander. I don’t have to think about what I’m doing. Instead, I can daydream, solve problems, hold a conversation, enjoy the view, or…

…listen to a podcast.

If you’re not familiar with podcasts read THIS first.

I always have at least a dozen podcasts downloaded on my phone. This gives me different listening options depending on my mood as I head out for a walk. I’m always hopeful the one I choose will make that day’s walk one I’ll remember for a long time.

It was a four-mile walk through the wooded section of a park near our home that I listened to an episode of This American Life. The topic was how an illusion by Penn and Teller was created. It was more about the story they were trying to tell with the illusion, not necessarily the secret behind the trick. I’ve always been fascinated by magicians and this podcast made those four miles move even faster than I was walking.

There was the walk through my neighborhood on the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11. I’m utterly fascinated by the Apollo moon missions so when I discovered this special podcast about the first landing I was hooked. I got goosebumps listening to that episode.

On a walk along the National Mall in Washington DC, my expectations were low as I listened to an episode of the podcast Live Long and Master Aging. But, quickly it grabbed my attention as the guest, a 69 year old doctor, talked about the meaning and impact his daily five-mile run has on his life. It was almost exactly how I feel about walking. I’ve saved that episode to enjoy again!

I’m not sure I’d go for a long walk in a nor’easter, but listening to podcasts has deepened my passion for walking. It’s also increased my motivation for fitness.

Maybe it’ll do the same for you.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY

If you don’t have a daily step goal, I want to challenge you to give it a try and create a fitness habit. I call it The 30 Day Fitness Challenge. This free guide will walk you through how to get started. It’s very easy.

If you don’t have a Fitbit I recommend the Fitbit Inspire HR. This is the Fitbit I use to track my 20,000 steps a day. The Inspire HR also tracks your heart rate and sleep so you get an even wider picture of your fitness progress.

(By the way…if you use the links in this article to make a purchase this blog will receive a small commission. It won’t add anything to what you pay, but letting you know is the right thing to do)

This blog is designed to help you embrace walking as a fitness activity. It’s sustainable, flexible, effective, and fun. Every week I post new articles with stories and helpful suggestions to Win at Fitness.

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