I’ve made a few healthy upgrades in my life since moving back to Florida. Hey, it’s a positive side effect of living near the beach and somewhere sunny. One contender for the healthiest upgrade is a once-a-week workout I look forward to each week. The workout? A long, fast-paced, completely unplugged and uncluttered walk on the beach.
Yes, a walk.
But with zero distractions, and I amp up the loveliness factor by doing it barefoot in the softest part of the sand, so I can feel the burn a bit.
Yeah, it’s not glamorous or anything groundbreaking, but gosh, it’s therapeutic and makes me feel alert and alive. The key detail, is no headphones, no phone. no music, no outside chatter, and no ads. Just me, my legs, my pace, breathing, and mind.
Yeah it’s the whole not too intense but intense enough to make a massive difference in your overall health, kind of cardio, but it clears my mind, gets me in tune with my body, has me thinking clearly and creatively, and for lack of a good vocab, it feels freaking fantastic.
I’m a person who thinks I must be working to the point of passing out or a limb feels like it might fall off for it to count, so something as simple as a walk is difficult for me. But I’ve gradually accepted the benefits of it, and look forward to the change of pace. I think my mind and body do too. It’s de-stressing, and feels like a weekly tune up, I guess. Unplugged and sweaty, it’s a stellar combo.
The workout? Get ready. It’s complicated. In fact, grab a notepad.
I walk for 20-30 minutes in one direction (in the upper part of the beach, so it’s softer sand/a harder workout/I don’t get distracted looking for shells) then turn around and walk back to where I started. The pace is just a notch below speed walking, and fast enough that if you stumble, you just start jogging, by default. And the only thing I bring along is my keys and watch. (I think that last part is the most important detail.)
Fact* I started doing this walk after hurting my feet because I went all out on the barefoot beach runs when we first moved here, so I was forced to walk for cardio. And had to wear sneakers when I did it. I think the sneakers made it harder, too. So sneakers are cool, too.
Yeah, it’s easy for me to do this at the beach, but you can walk at a good, fast pace while being unplugged anywhere. If I can’t make it to the beach, I do it in my neighborhood (definitely in sneakers). There’s an old dude who does 7 miles every morning here, and he is like the happiest, healthiest old dude ever. Must be the step count and fresh air. Park, trail, neighborhood, or find a track and just zone out like a hamster on a hamster wheel. It’s all good.
The big thing is making a date with yourself for 20 minutes of sweat each day. And the whole point of this is I highly recommend multiplying that by 2 or 3 once a week, and going for a long, distraction-free walk. Your mind and body will thank you for it.