Small actions. Big results.
Whether a morning walk is already part of your movement practice, or you’re just getting started, simple changes to your routine can have a profound effect on your life. With purpose and intention, your walk can be a powerful tool of transformation. After all, we all have busy schedules. So why not make those steps count?
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about being more productive or ticking something off your to‑do list. No checking emails or scrolling social media - your walk is a time just for you to honor yourself; your goals, your growth, and your future.
Walking offers lots of great health benefits: regulating blood sugar, improving circulation, boosting your mood, and raising your energy, among others. But walking isn’t “just” physical activity. It’s a chance to clear your mind, connect with yourself, and move forward in more ways than one.
I love practical, doable strategies: things you can put into action immediately. Here are a few realistic, down-to-earth ways you can make your morning walk a powerful part of your health and personal journey:
● Use music to empower your subconscious
What we listen to can directly affect our mood. Ever been going through a breakup and can’t stop listening to that one song? The same effect (a song keeping you in a specific mood and mindset) can work in your favor when your playlist caters to the version of yourself you want to be.
On your favorite music app, look for “positive affirmation workout” playlists that match an energetic beat with empowering messages. Think: fun club beats and dance-ready melodies with affirmations as the lyrics. The beat will keep your pace on point while the words work their magic on your mindset.
Even if you’re not actively listening, these positive messages permeate your subconscious mind, helping you rewire beliefs and attitudes from the inside out. The subconscious mind is where we create the belief system that runs our lives and is the filter we experience the world through. Working to rewire your subconscious to be brave and empowered can have profound effects on every area of your life.
● Use guided meditations - or create your own
There are endless meditation apps with moving meditations to help you do just about anything: clear stuck emotions, visualize pathways to your dream job, and so much more.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Be your own guide and give yourself your own medicine by recording a voice note to yourself. Write and record a pep talk from future you, cheering you on, or a walk-and-visualize meditation where you connect with your highest self. Or create a scene where you get to connect with your inner child, taking her out for a walk and letting yourself acknowledge your own deepest feelings, dreams, and desires.
This personalized approach lets you tap into your own intuition and healing.
● Create new neural pathways through new routes
New neural pathways form when we step into new spaces, try new things and get out of our comfort zone. Challenge yourself to walk a different path each morning. The novelty of a change in scenery will also boost your presence and awareness (helping thwart any zoning out or overthinking your brain might do on autopilot). This small change can spark curiosity, awareness, and adaptability — helping you break free from routines and become more present and engaged in your surroundings.
Explore even further by walking in an entirely new part of town. Peruse through the neighborhood you want to live in next, feeling what it will be like to live there, checking out the kind of houses you consider your ‘dream home’. Make a day of it by exploring the shops and cafes after you walk; the On Par Flared Skort [LINK] is my favorite look for going from active movement to social plans without missing a beat.
● Build your confidence by setting new challenges
Set up challenges for yourself each day, for example: to make it to a certain destination at a certain walking pace. Or to walk for a certain distance with no music or podcasts playing, so you can work to identify and halt negative thought patterns that might come up. Creating and meeting challenges boosts our trust in ourselves, and builds confidence in our abilities to face whatever might come our way.
Remember: small steps (both physical and mental) taken consistently, can lead to big transformation. Your walk is for you: your health, your dreams and goals, and your life. Enjoy the journey, and make it your own!
