A 30 minute walk can change a lot. Get started!

More time for family and friends, a better body feeling, living healthier: There are many reasons to break old habits – and establish new ones. The stern January challenge provides ideas and motivation: for ten consecutive days in January, you can dedicate yourself to a task set by us every day. And who knows – maybe the daily challenge will become a new, beloved habit that you can use to do something good for yourself in the new year.

Are you there? We would be happy about that. Today’s task is perfect for all sitting office and couch potatoes: a 30-minute walk in the fresh air.

Have you actually wanted to start running for a long time? We all want that. Unfortunately, the condition has been in the basement for a long time. You would also need sensible running shoes. And then there’s this pain in my knee. Let’s be honest: For many people, the threshold to start jogging for half an hour from now on is quite high.

What almost everyone can do from a standing position – and even from a sitting position – is a 30-minute walk.

Half an hour – where are you supposed to get that? For most people, everyday life is full of obligations: working, shopping, dropping off or picking up the children, maintaining household and contacts. Therefore, as a first step, use your weakness as a strength: Where do you have to go today anyway? Then you can walk all or at least part of this route, right?

If the distance is too long because you have to travel ten kilometers to work by bus and train, get off one or two stops before your destination and walk the rest. If it’s too hectic in the morning, save the walk for the way home. Do all or part of your shopping, doctor’s appointment or visit to your sister-in-law or best friend on foot. Park your car four blocks away. Instead of spending half an hour looking for the perfect parking space, you can make better use of those 30 minutes on foot.

We all have at least one weather app on our cell phone, and January in particular is notorious for dark, gray, wet, cold days. Don’t wait for a rain break. At worst, it won’t come until March. Instead, rely on equipment. You may not want to climb the Zugspitze, but being warm and cozy outside in any weather helps your motivation enormously. So take out your ski or outdoor jacket again and swap your sneakers for a pair of winter boots. You can even wear clunky hiking boots – wet feet are a nightmare, even on a harmless walk around the block. And in the January rain, hardly anyone sees you anyway.

Every walk can be spiced up. You definitely don’t want to be bored in the fresh air. As a passionate walker, I now know all the secret paths and shortcuts, dead ends and even the private paths with the “No Trespassing” sign in my neighborhood. In addition, every pond with and without koi carp, the oldest oak tree in the district, the meadows where crocuses will soon bloom again, and the bakery with the best coffee. I even came across ponies recently, even though I live in the city. So don’t just leave. Conquer the space. Use your phone to add interesting detours to the map, find a street you’ve never been to, check out the café someone recently recommended to you. Every meter is worth it – and the options are endless.

Walks are so rewarding that not all of the benefits can be listed here. From a health perspective, the cost-benefit ratio is unbeatable: the time required is minimal, in contrast to the gym there are no costs, and the risk of injury can be safely ignored. In return, you get everything you could wish for: According to studies, regular walking lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Just ten minutes of brisk walking every day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Three hours a week reduces the mortality of breast cancer patients in the years after the disease. Walking prevents obesity and joint problems and relieves osteoarthritis pain.

It also improves our mood, relaxes us and helps us cope with social problems. According to a Norwegian long-term study on 34,000 test subjects, just one hour a week protects against depression. Other data show effectiveness against pre-existing depression. It’s not just exercise that seems to be good for us, but also being outside: the gray matter in our cerebral cortex benefits from regular stays outdoors – even short ones and regardless of whether you’re in the city or in the countryside.

Now all you really have to do is tie a bow. And then walk out the door.