A10 in 2023: Here are our 2023 A10 Walking Challenges

[CBDB]

★★★ UPDATE ★★★

Added all monthly challenges with links to this post. Looking to see what we have challenged ourselves with? Just head to the section under Active10 Challenges.

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Jan 1st 2023

I hope the Christmas period brought you loads of lovely walks, treks, hikes, meanderings, or perambulations, wanders or  … or even trudges, shuffles, stumbles or stomps. 

Okay, I admit, I used my thesaurus. 

The point is, whether short or long, fast or slow, delightful or strenuous, every one of our walks will be worth it. So my resolution for this year will be to become more conscious of the plods that I do, to be more appreciative of the paces I accumulate and to celebrate every step. Even if it is only the walk to the bus, or the walk in-between my jeffing running intervals, even if it is just that 5 min here and there that we all do as we go through our daily lives.  

So what are your walking-related resolutions? Do you have any, do you want to set some?  

As many of you know, I’m not a good walker, but I want to be. My inspiration also comes from these forums. Many of you racked up the miles last year, heading out into the beauty of our natural landscapes or the friendliness of our urban neighbourhoods. 

So I wonder who is up for joining me on a 2023 journey of exploring our collective acts of walking.  So here is what I thought we could do, but chip in if you have any additional ideas.   

★★★Beginning of each month: 12 ways to walk★★★ 

Inspired by three key reading sources (see   below for links), I will post a monthly challenge exploring one particular thing to explore on a walk. My post will probably ponder about the contents of a specific chapter or article about walking, so a reading club and walking challenge all rounded up in one!

And I hope to hear from our walking community, what they thought of that specific topic, whether they tried it and how they have found it. And committing to these challenges means we’ll be committing to doing these walks! Voila! Easy, right? 🫣😉😀 

★★★Middle of each month: Photo-walk Challenge ★★★ 

Each month I (or someone else) will suggest a theme for the monthly photo-walk-challenge. The idea is to take a picture on one of your walks that addresses  the theme in some way and post it here on Active10, potentially inspiring 1000s of other walkers.

We can post these each as a separate post with the hashtag/word  #Photowalk in the title of the post. (E.g. ”#Photowalk January: birds, dogs and a bathtub?” ) 

So who is up for joining me on this journey? 

 

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★★★ Active10 Challenges ★★★

THEMED CHALLENGES

★ January Challenge - Walk in the Cold  healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ February Challenge - Take a 12-min walk healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ March Challenge - Take a City Smell Walk healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ April Challenge -Walk with your Ears healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ May Challenge - Follow a River healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ June Challenge - Walk with a Map healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ July Challenge - Sing as you Stride healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ August Challenge - Walk like a Nomad healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ September Challenge - Walk and Forage healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ October Challenge - Walk after a Meal healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ November Challenge - Walk Hungry healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ December Challenge - Walk Backwards healthunlocked.com/active10...

PHOTO CHALLENGES

★ January/Feb - Shoes healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ February/March - Look Up healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ March/April - Water healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ April/May - Yellow healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ May/June - Repeating Patterns healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ June/July - Critters healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ July/Aug - Big healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ Aug/Sept - End of Summer? healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ Sept/Oct Dogs healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ Oct/Nov Lucky Numbers healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ Nov/Dec Ghostly healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ Dec/Jan White healthunlocked.com/active10...

All in our challenge folder at healthunlocked.com/active10...

 

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Some other helpful resources are below:  

For those new to walking, or those who like to track and be rewarded for their walking, you can combine above challenges with the use of the NHS Active 10 App? The Active 10 app anonymously records every minute of walking you do. And you can just  pop your phone in your pocket and it still tracks every mile. I have it on my phone with constant tracking on. Details at: nhs.uk/better-health/get-ac... 

And if you are new to walking, have a look at the following guidance or plans:

★ NHS Guidance on Walking for Health, with plenty of ideas for getting those steps in and link to the Active10 app  nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/r...

★ How to start walking, our classic A10 helpsheet from                 Realfoodieclub and                 runswithdogs . It’s been with us now for 6 years but still so relevant! healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ And                   LottieMW recently posted about a plan for #ParkWalk: An 8 week guide to completing a 5K walk… healthunlocked.com/active10... 

 And for those who like to follow the readings that inspired these challenges, here are my three  reads that urged me to consider more deeply the act of walking: 

1) Published in 2022 by Bloomsbury, Annabelle Streets authored the title “52 ways to walk: The surprising science of walking for wellness and joy, one week at a time”. It has 52 chapters, one for each week of the year, exploring one different way to get out there and walk. Each chapter is a mini-essay that includes some science and facts and then has a sub-chapter for tips on applying these in one’s walking. A chapter might be about night walks or walking backwards, treadmills, or walking with others. And I love the quote on the book jacket: “Walking had become, once again the great adventure of my life. But this time, science could explain the how and why.” 

2) Women’s Health Big Book of Walking Workouts (Jan 2019, South African version, for some reason. Out of print but available as a digital download through the PressReader App). Now, this magazine book has four different training plans and various walking-focused workouts. And although I thought some of the plans were not quite thought through (I’ll not be doing bear-walking on hands and feet in the middle of my walk), this book gave me the idea that there is a way to train yourself to become a better walker. 

3) Health and Fitness Walk Slim Magazine Book from 2012 (Dennis Publishing UK, also out of print but still available through Amazon) with Lucy Wyndham-Read. It still looks fresh, and it has ideas for turning normal walks into full workouts! It also has a 6-week walking plan that looks very attractive. I’ve made a note of that one. It also has a section about different ways of walking, from treadmills, walking groups, and Nordic Walking to walking challenges.  

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So bring on 2023, and hope to see you in our virtual walking group challenges! Let’s keep on keeping on!

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Additional resources recommended by the community: 

@LottieMW recommends:

Lucy Wyndham-Read’s Walking to Health 4-week challenge. There is a real nice PDF with links to her workouts, mostly inside walking workouts but this does get your step count up! And it’s free!  lwrfitness.com/walk-for-hea... 

[Oldfloss]

Okay... I am in... the Covid creature kiboshed my Resistance Band challenge... not the Yoga... and I am thinking I may be a while before I am back to running!

Thanks for this ..looking forward to the photo walk particularly ! x

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Oldfloss]

Woohoo!! Yes, I finally got there… just took me a while! 🤭😏 Looking forward to doing these challenges next year, but might have to use all sorts of walking for the challenges to fit it all in. But that’s probably the best strategy : how to embed walking into everyday getting around. So might walk more to the start of my run, or walk between campuses intentionally at my place of work, etc.

[LottieMW Administrator]

Ooo…exciting! Thanks for these fab ideas CBDB!

I used Lucy W-R a lot during lockdown. She has a lot of indoor workouts, useful if you’re not an outdoor type…or the weather is particularly naff ❄️☃️☔️

Loads of stuff on YouTube…here’s one as an example…

lwrfitness.com/walk-for-hea...

[CBDB Administrator in reply to LottieMW]

Oh that is such a good resource! I’ll add this to a list of resources! Thank you!

[ChannelRunner2 2000miles per year]

I am totally in! I walk a lot already, so my 2023 goal (even though this is making me strangely nervous typing it out here) will be to walk or run 4000 km. This year (with 4 days left) I walked and ran a total of 3,840 km. So, it seems doable... unless, of course, something unexpected happens...

[CBDB Administrator in reply to ChannelRunner2]

Oh Wowsa! Woohoo!!

[Doris8 1000miles per year in reply to ChannelRunner2]

oh well done

[MissUnderstanding]

Fantastic! Those sounds like great challenges. I’ve noticed my steps actually decreasing as I’ve stated running more and I’ve really missed walks. I used to go every day during lockdown. Count me in!

[CBDB Administrator in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Fabulous!!

[Hidden]

Sounds good! My 2023 walking resolutions are

Start walking again

Build it up slowly

Aim to get to 4.5 miles in 90 minutes a few times a week

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Hidden]

That sounds awesome! 👍🏽👏👏

[Curlygurly2]

Yes please. Various health issues now see me walking more than running, and even running is usually run/walk, so yes this sounds useful xx

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Curlygurly2]

Welcome to our virtual walking group! So glad you’ll join us!

(But not good to hear about your health issues, so sending over lots of get-well wishes 💜✉️🧡✉️💙✉️💚🤕 )

[Curlygurly2 in reply to CBDB]

Thank you CBDB, I was diagnosed with under active thyroid, not too serious in the scheme of things but it's taken a lot of my energy. I just need to be patient while they get my medication dose right. I'm feeling better already but there's a way to go. Never mind, I'm enjoying walking!

Happy New Year to you xx

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Curlygurly2]

Happy New Year!

Yes, I am also hypothyroid. Specifically Hashimotos, a specific kind of hypothyroidism that is difficult to get the medication right. So I empathise with anyone with that condition as it takes so long to get to the right amount of medication and nutrients.

You probably know about the hypothyroid forum on Health Unlocked? It’s been god-sent for me. See forum at healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

My latest specific exploration (warning: long detailed post) in a post at healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Curlygurly2 in reply to CBDB]

I had a hemi- thyroidectomy in March, they told me after at the hospital my levels were ok, but they weren't really. The Consultant I saw in Nov persuaded me I needed the Levo Thyroxine, specifically when I said my running had got slower and slower...got a follow up blood test last week, I feel a lot better but hope they'll increase my dose..I'll have a look at that forum...

[OldManRunning]

I'll join in too. I had doubts about walking 1000km in a year so looked at my step info for 2022 and I have walked 2837km. I haven't left my bed today other than a bathroom visit so was trying to work out how I'd done 498 steps then I realised we rolled in about 1.30 this morning 😂 😂

[CBDB Administrator in reply to OldManRunning]

fabulous! But do recover first. Sounds like you had a good time last night!

[grumpyoldgirl]

I'm in! I'm using the Active 10 as a way to get my fitness levels up while I dither on whether to restart c25k ( I snuck half of week 1 run 1 into my A10 session yesterday). I can't see my running getting much past this level for a good while yet, and I'm already feeling the benefit of the walking.

[CBDB Administrator in reply to grumpyoldgirl]

Run walking, just walking, walk running is all ok in my book.

I seem to have learned that walking takes a specific set of muscles. So I’m also trying to build those walking specific muscles, but when I tire, it’s almost easier to fall into a trot.

Our bodies are strange and so complex at times!

[Wine 1000miles per year]

Yes I am in as well as this fits in with my 100days 10k steps challenge

[Doris8 1000miles per year]

Hi CBDB. This 1000 mile walk in a year. I am not into social media and HU is the only one I have joined. Is it ok that I don’t have to join Facebook for this challenge . I could sign up but not do the Facebook bit if that’s ok or is it compulsory. I have walked about 24 km already in Madeira first 2 days.

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Doris8]

Yes, no need to join the Facebook group. I think there are plenty of 1000milers on here to keep us motivated. And we have the theme and photo challenges to keep us doing/thinking all sorts of things whilst walking.

[Doris8 1000miles per year in reply to CBDB]

Ok cool