So last year, in May, I did a walking challenge with my kids – it was ‘Walk a Day in May… with the kids. This year it’s a slightly easier challenge, I’ve just got to walk a marathon with the kids instead – just over 26 miles. Well, when I say it’s easier I’ve still got the extra challenge of only been home Friday to Sunday, so it’s really going to be a weekend challenge.

Hopefully some of you will join me in this?

Some rules, or guidance.

• Grown-up kids/Grandkids/Nieces/Nephews etc are also allowed, but best if you ask permission if you are walking with any kids other than your own!
• Work to a ‘mile a day’ and it will accumulate up quickly. Leave it only to do at the weekends and you’ve got 7 hard miles to catch up on.
• Use a pedometer to measure or one of the many walking/running Apps (like Strava) that are available. Or you may have a watch that does it.
• Walking around the house or chasing them around the house doesn’t count. You need to be outside. Neither does just putting them on a running machine, that’s just wrong!
• It’s not a competition, it’s just a bit of fun.

 

It would be great if you could record your endeavours in the comments section beneath this blog. Just go to the ‘Leave a Reply’ section and add in details of your walks eg.

#Miles 1-3 :’A walk around the park with Alex’. 28miles to go

And then for adding more, simply click ‘edit’ and add the next walk underneath. Simples.

#Miles 4-5: ‘A walk to town and back with Chris and Alex’. 26miles to go

 

Tips.

• There are two perfectly-timed Bank Holidays in May. You can use May Bank Holiday at the start to get you ahead of schedule and Spring Bank at the end to catch up.
• Pick a Country Park near you and go walk around it.
• The evenings are getting longer, so you have more time to do this.
• Do it after your evening meal before the kids’ bath time
• Go to your local park and walk around it a couple of times before letting the kids loose in the playground. Note: this doesn’t look quite right if you’ve got grown-up kids.
• If it’s close enough, walk the kids to school in the morning or evening. ‘School run’ becomes ‘School walk’.
• Think about some other small trips where you currently drive, that you could walk instead… to the shop, to relatives or to friends.
• Just nip out and have a wander round your local area. It will help the kids orientate themselves with where you live too.
• Take the kids with you whilst you walk the dog

• A circular mile walk will take about 30-40mins
• Make sure you take drinks with you and distractions/energy boosts with you.
• Talk to each other, there’s hopefully not too many distractions for once.
• Most of all. Stay safe with whatever you do and wherever you are doing it.

 

Potential Benefits.

• De-stress from work / life’s challenges for a while
• Help with your posture
• Help you sleep better
• Reduce the risk of all kinds of bad health juju
• Tone up
• Lose weight. You’ll burn 50-150 calories or more just walking a single mile
• Live longer
• Gets your brain working. I get loads of ideas out walking (including this one)

 

… but mostly it’s about spending some quality time with your kids.

Let’s do this everyone

 

Thanks to Paul at Magenta Creative for the graphic.