From when I started college and probably before then, my mum has woken up bright and early (before the sun in the winter) and goes for between a 2-4 mile walk. She will put her “winter woolies” on (because it’s 50 degrees and that’s cold for Los Angeles folk!) and sneak out of the house just as dawn arrives. She will walk down to the beach and then along the path (an absolutely beautiful walk). She rarely misses her walk, even on the weekend. And boy is she a walker. Even for me, it’s hard to keep up! I don’t know how those legs move so fast. Must be her Kiwi blood. My dad will also go for his walks and bike rides in the morning, knowing that it’s an excellent start to the day.
My mum with my aunt’s new puppy!
My brother and dad
What I’m getting at is that they taught me a great lesson which I am just starting to follow. And I think New Zealand was also a positive influence on this as well because much of my family will do walking for their primary exercise. Since I’ve gotten back from New Zealand to good old Boulder, Colorado, I have tried to walk more. Now I usually did before, I would walk to the grocery and to the gym. However, now I am really trying to get at least 15 minutes logged in the morning. Sometimes I don’t make it out of bed in time (I blame cuddles with cats and Chris), but when I do, I’m thankful for that quiet time and brisk exercise to wake up my body. I enjoy it more than running (I am not a morning runner–I wish I was but let’s face it) and it really wakes me up more than a splash of cold water in my face. It makes you feel good and is an excellent form of exercise for all levels. I find a good tool is to lay out my shoes and warm clothes so I have no excuse.
Lurve my new shoes, which doesn’t hurt the process 😛
I challenge you just to try morning walks for at least 15 minutes. Wake up just 15 minutes earlier. I dare you! You feel so great, energized, and refreshed for the day! You also know that you started the day right with exercise. So if you don’t get to a workout for the rest of the day, at least you had your morning walk. I wouldn’t lie about this–I’m becoming a huge proponent. You also catch killer views and get to experience a more quiet city (or wherever you live)–it’s quite serene and peaceful. So some time this week, just try for that morning walk. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Take your morning walk to stay hungry and fit!
The beginning of my walk this morning…moon over the mountain
Which turned into this delightful sunrise
AND SPECTACULAR SUNSET
Morning walks makes me feel like this to face the day!
*Question of the Day: Do you take morning walks?
BONUS KITTY PIC
Nymeria is so hard to photograph because she is so dark!
Guilty of not taking morning walks. I do morning runs SOMETIMES, but it’s so hard to get out of bed. I know I should…
It is hard!
Fire up and hit the trail in the morning–go get ’em, Alana! I’m off to hit the bike path…
Woohooo!!
Your enthusiasm is contagious.
I’m glad!
I am doing this more as there are parks available lol and my options are slim…was out today in 15 degrees …walked a few miles through the snowy forest …cold but loved it 🙂 I so need a pedometer Hungry once said I should have had one installed at birth
Haha you should! You are the walking master!
Thank’s for this post, guys! I just started with short runs in the morning three months ago. And when I say short, I’m talking about 5 to 10 minutes. Just around the block. At first, it was soooo hard getting up and I thought a few minutes are just too short to make a difference. I told myself I’ll try this for two weeks and see how it goes. And I can tell you, I love my short moring runs now! And they do make a difference. I feel more awake during the whole day plus I even notice a difference when I do my longer runs during the week in the afternoon. I can really recommend giving it a go. Only for two weeks at first. You’ll feel the difference!
That’s awesome! Getting moving in the mornings rule
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