Plan NOW for the GGR’s New Year’s Walking Challenge 

For the month of January, we are highlighting a community-oriented 31-day walking challenge. While it might sound a bit simplistic on the surface, walking is one of the most efficient ways to keep your body and mind sharp. It’s also one of the easiest ways to stay fit, even if you’re already hitting the gym on a regular basis.

“Everybody’s got 10 minutes to go out there and take a walk, and that’s all that it really takes. And it’s going to have a compounding factor,” strength coach Jesse Burdick said on an episode of the Mark Bell’s Power Project podcast. “If you’re outside, getting a little of sun, breathing fresh air…it just has a compounding effect on your mood, psychologically, it keeps you further moving things along.”
All you need to do is to follow a chart which details how long you should walk, and on what days. Consistency is key here.
Although the walks will get a little more challenging as the month goes on, it is designed, so you can continue your other workouts–but you could also just do this on its own if you wanted.

The goal here is to provide a foundation for your fitness journey and put you in a position where you can accomplish any other goals you might have, whether that’s running a mile or to start lifting heavier weights.
To participate, go to:

Why Did We Pick Walking For A Workout Challenge?

You might be asking yourself, “why walking?” After all, you lift weights so shouldn’t that be enough? While strength training is an important part of any fitness regimen, it may not be enough if you’re not supplementing it with aerobic activity (which you may know as cardio).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the average adult needs at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week to reduce their risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, strokes, and even some cancers. This is in addition to at least two or more days a week of strength training that hits every muscle group (so don’t skip leg day).

We picked walking for many reasons, but just a few include the fact that it’s easy, a safe choice for people with sensitive joints, and doesn’t involve any special equipment. It can be done by those who already make fitness a part of their everyday life, and those who are trying to create new habits.

And for those who already train regularly, walking has been shown to improve muscle endurance and your cardiovascular fitness. In other words, walking every day can help you become a better weightlifter or Crossfittter.

Walking, unlike many other fitness trends, has also never gone out of style. We as humans have been doing it for thousands of years, and 6-in-10 adults today say they walk as a daily form of exercise, or just for fun.