For Your Safety

If you live in an urban or suburban area, your best bet for a free walking route is likely the sidewalk or shoulder along the streets of your town. It’s crucial when walking near traffic to always be aware of your surroundings.

If there’s sidewalk available along your route, make it your first choice. Only walk along the shoulder of the road when there is no other alternative. If you must travel along the shoulder, make sure you walk facing traffic. That way, you can see cars approaching you and have time to react should any of the drivers not be paying attention. 

 Make sure you apply sunscreen before you set out on your journey, and bring extra along in case you need to reapply it. It doesn’t take long for sunburn to develop. You’ll definitely regret it the next day if it does.

Believe it or not, even on a cloudy day, as much as 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation makes it through our atmosphere. That being said, look for a sports sunscreen or at least one that’s sweat resistant. Pay close attention to how often the label indicates you need to apply the product and follow the instructions to a tee.

Stinging or biting insects are a common problem along the trails, especially in the seasons that bring on great hiking weather. The best way to keep the bugs at bay is to use insect repellent, whether it’s an aerosol spray or lotion. It’s important to bring along enough insect repellent for everybody, especially if you’ll still be hiking at dusk.

Texting Dangers

Years ago, before the age of texting, walking wasn’t quite as dangerous. Today, thousands of pedestrians are treated in local emergency rooms as a result of texting at the wrong time. What’s more disturbing is the fact that these numbers might even be higher. Why? Many people are too embarrassed to admit they fell or injured themselves in some other manner while texting and walking.

Using your phone while you walk is more distracting than you might think. You’re doing something else, looking at something else and your mind is somewhere else. Think of it as three strikes against you.

A recent study conducted by Stony Brook University indicates that an individual using a phone and walking at the same time is 61 percent more likely to veer off course. Yes, you read that right - a whopping 61 percent.

In a separate University at Buffalo study, data supports the fact that more pedestrians are injured (per mile) using cell phones than riding in vehicles. When you think about it, those facts are really quite frightening. 

Make a concerted effort to ignore your cell phone when walking. Take it with you in the event of an emergency. But, as a rule, you’ll be much safer if you just enjoy your surroundings and “just say no” to texting. You can always take up where you left off once you return home.

One last word of caution: the longer your proposed walking or hiking route, the more effort you probably want to put into the planning stages.

Tracking Your Progress

When you’re walking for the sake of fitness, it’s important to keep track of when and how far you walk. If you don’t keep track of your progress, it can be difficult to plan out an effective walking schedule for the future. One of the best tools you can use to keep track of your walks is a walking journal or a calendar. With either (or even both) of these, you can easily take note of how far you walk every day.

Another useful walking tool is a pedometer, which keeps track of how many steps you take. This lets you keep a more accurate measure of how much you work out than tracking the time or distance that you walk. There are a wide variety of pedometers available on the market, as well as apps that let your smartphone track your steps.