Walk your way towards some well-deserved ‘me time’ this summer!

With the summer holidays fast approaching, it is quite easy to find ourselves getting caught up in the chaos that comes with the ongoing demands of our home life, work life and end of year festivities.

This often means that our level of physical activity tends to a take a hit and that well-deserved ‘me time’ gets pushed to the side.   

Setting aside time for ourselves, even if it’s just a short walk around the block, shouldn’t make us feel guilty or seem like just another task. This summer, we want to help you find ways to stay active no matter where you are. Walking is simple, easy and can be done anywhere, so we’ve come up with ten ways to incorporate walking into your summer adventures. The physical activity and fresh air can do wonders to destress, clear the mind and improve energy levels. 

Tick off your walks each day on a calendar to help you stay motivated and see how you’re still achieving your physical activity goals by just walking every day. Your walks can be as short as five-to-ten-minute blocks – everything counts!

Get walking wherever you are this summer — around home or while enjoying the sea breeze or country air on holiday — and give yourself a break from the guilt during these holidays. You deserve it, and you’ll certainly feel better for it. 

Ten ways to incorporate walking into your summer adventures:

1. Divide and conquer

Find things on your to-do list that you can delegate to your partner, housemate, or family member while you go for a walk. It may be looking after the kids, doing the washing, cleaning the house, or taking them off to do an activity.

2. Spend time with a different family member

Go for a walk with a different family member each day. Set yourselves a destination goal and learn something new about each other along the way.

3. Put yourself first and ask for help when you need it

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have some time to themselves, and there will usually be a helping hand nearby.

4. Walk your dog everyday

Let your companion be your motivation. Walk your dog at least once each day, taking them to explore different parks, trails and family hot spots.

5. Walk wherever you are

Explore the environment you find yourself in this summer. Walk the beach, walk the paddocks, walk the sunset, or even walk laps of the caravan park while the kids are playing together.

6. Walk to your friends’ house for dinner

If your friends live close by, walk to their house for your next dinner, lunch, or playdate instead of jumping in the car.

7. Visit somewhere new each week as a family to explore

Now that we have the time to visit new places, take yourselves to a new destination and explore the area together. Capture some memorable photographs to record your walking adventures.

8. Get a walking buddy

Use the holidays to catch up with some friends and motivate each other to move your bodies each day. It’s easier to be active when someone else is expecting you to turn up.

9. Break your daily walks into blocks

Smaller walks of 5, 10 or 15 minutes may be easier to achieve than a single, longer walk, or you can break up a longer walk to make it seem like less effort. A walk to your local supermarket may be 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back (with an opportunity for a quick rest in between), rather than a 20-minute round trip

10. Track your activity on Get Active Victoria

If you want to see how you are progressing over the next few weeks, log your activity via our tracker and follow your progress on your personal dashboard.

Other walking resources available:

9 great reasons to love walking: https://www.getactive.vic.gov.au/resources/9-great-reasons-to-love-walking/

Walking games: https://www.getactive.vic.gov.au/around-home/games/?preview=walking-games