I’ve lived in Boston for a while, and one of the best perks about this small city is that you can literally walk everywhere. Remember this past winter when it snowed and it was freezing almost every day? I still walked 2.25 miles to work and back each day. That’s 4 and a half miles a day, not including any extra mileage I may put in walking around the office, running errands, grabbing lunch, and working out.

And now that it’s actually warm out, walking that extra couple (or few) miles each day is what helped me be a better version of me. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Walking in the morning before work gave me an opportunity to mentally prepare for the day (many meetings, presentations, etc) ahead. It allowed me to wake up and get jazzed for seeing my co-workers. Walking home allowed me to decompress from the day, shake the edge off, and get excited for whatever I may have planned for the evening.

Without realizing it I was becoming physically and mentally healthier. I was shedding a few pounds that my metabolism slowing down had given me, and I began to walk even more because of it. I walked to meet friends when we went out. I walked to dr appointments. I walked everywhere. Although the trains run throughout the city, I have taken the train 5 times in the past 6 months. Crazy, right?

I know this doesn’t work for everyone, and not everyone lives in such a walkable city. But there are opportunities to up your cardio intake even if it means walking around the block during lunch, standing at your desk (instead of sitting all day), and/or getting up a little earlier to make that jog/run happen.

We’re all getting older (even though I swear I’m turning 29 again this July), and taking care of ourselves is so important. That walk could help your heart health as well as your mental health. I know I’m hoping for both.

#radiatedaily