A friend of mine recently posted on social media that she wanted to get ready for summer and was going to do a 90 day challenge.  I thought it was a great idea, but I wanted to be realistic about what I could do.  I usually run 5 days a week about 4 miles per day (which helped me lose 30 lbs!), but I need the rest days to get back in the swing of things.  So I changed the challenge a bit to a walking challenge – I knew I could get this done.

The goal for this challenge – no matter your level – is to get moving every day.  I try to walk 5 miles per day through my normal routine.  My walking challenge miles are on top of my daily routine miles.  Your goal may just be to get up and get moving, but aim for 10,000 steps per day.  I’d also recommend purchasing a pedometer to track your steps.  A $5 one from a big box store works fine, but if you want something fancier, I use a fitbit.

Walking Challenge – Beginner

If you are a beginner, and trying to begin your fitness routine, I’d suggest following this 90-day walking challenge plan.  This will get you from the couch to a 5K distance in a reasonable amount of time.  The goal is to get moving every day.

Walking Challenge – Advanced

Since I run so much anyway, I wanted to make sure I was getting similar benefits (but easier on my knees!) to my usual running routine.  I signed up for a “100 Miles Per Month” Challenge online, so I knew that I’d need to make this happen through my new routine. The online challenge keeps me motivated – my goal this year is to do 100 miles every month – for a total of 1200 miles this year (running, walking or biking).

Your daily goal is to walk 3.4 to 4 miles per day – instead of taking rest days, plan to walk 1/2 mile. I decided to be really creative with how to get my exercise miles in each day.  I’d take walking lunch breaks, I’d walk in my backyard as my kids played outside, I’d walk during my kid’s soccer practice instead of sitting still and watching – I’d try to add this workout into any time during the day where it would fit!

Supplemental Workout

I’d also added a supplemental daily workout routine to my walking challenge to make sure I was working multiple muscle groups.  I’d do this exercise before bed each night.  I had it posted in my bathroom so I wouldn’t forget and I’d mark off the days once they were completed. By the time I’d reach the middle of each month, I really started to enjoy the new workout routine.

Try to add more fitness opportunities to your day, no matter how small (even a one-minute workout makes a difference) and you’ll begin to see changes in your body and your excitement with each new day and new success that you have.