Has your walk been B-O-R-I-N-G lately?

I love to walk. It’s easy to do anywhere and the only equipment you absolutely need is a great pair of sneakers. But, because it’s so easy, it can get boring very easily – especially if you’re like me and you have a very short exercise attention span.

Here are 3 ways to add a little spring to that step:

1. Change your scenery. Local parks have great trails. Or, simply reverse the route you normally take. Usually walk on a treadmill? Try walking in the neighborhood. Stepping out of your comfort zone and normal routine will not only make your workout more interesting, it’ll challenge your muscles in different ways too – which is always good for avoiding plateaus.

2. Add a little intensity. Instead of just walking, why not try different paces. Speed up for a minute or two, or increase the width of your stride for a minute. Try carrying a set of light weights for some added upper body resistance. You can also strap on a backpack and put some light weight in it.

3. Add in some Circuits. Instead of just walking the whole time, stop and do a few resistance exercises, or intense cardio blasts. For example, you could do some push-ups, lunges, squats, or sit-ups. Or, stop and do jumping jacks, run in place, or do squat jumps.

Thanksgiving is coming, and there’s nothing better than taking an after dinner walk around the block. Get the whole family involved and give each other challenges while you walk. You can challenge each other to see how many jumping jacks you can do in a certain amount of time. Or, how fast you can walk between your neighbors houses.

If you’ve got some great things that you do on your walks, feel free to share them!

**Don’t forget to check out the Prevention not Prescriptions blog carnival this week. We’ve been having some great discussions over at Kathleen’s blog as well, so don’t forget to check back often during the week!