House Walking

House Walking

House walking is the practice of going for walks inside your house. Some people walk from one end of their house to another, some pace in one single room, and others march in place. Some like to do a combination of all three, depending on their mood and what is convenient.

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My House Walking Story

When I first starting setting a step goal for myself, my consistency was hit or miss. Some days I would get up and get all my steps in first thing in the morning. Other days it was later in the evening. Other times I didn’t get all of my steps in because the weather was “bad” (too hot, stormy, windy, etc). Some days I waited until it was “too late” to go out for a walk. Other days I was “too busy” to leave the house. One day it occured to me that if I got my steps inside my house, I’d have no excuse not to get them in.

The idea of walking 6 miles inside my house seemed impossible at first, but I decided to try and see what it was like. The day I walked all 14,000 steps inside my house changed my life. I knew that from that day forward the only thing that would hold me back from consistently hitting my step goal each day would be me. I finally achieved consistency.

In the early days, I would walk through my house, creating a path: walk to the kitchen, go around the perimeter, go into my bedroom, then back into the living room, then down the hall to the kids’ rooms, then back to the living room, and then back to the kitchen. Other times I found I liked the privacy of walking in my bedroom: I’d walk from the head of the bed, down to the foot of the bed, over to the other side of the foot of the bed, up to the head of the bed, and back. Other times I found I enjoyed pacing up and down the hall. In the early days, I found that I would let the time slip away, and sometimes I would get my 14,000th step just before midnight (which was my cutoff time). House walking helped me to continuously hold myself accountable for achieving my goals.

In the years since implementing my house walking habit I’ve lived in two different houses that were about 1400 square feet, one that was 1900 square feet, and most recently I’ve been living in a class C RV that has less than 300 square feet of living space. Once we began full-time RVing, I fell in love with hiking, and most days I get my steps outside. But when the weather turns ugly, or if something else prevents me from going outside, I still get my steps in inside the RV. Sometimes I pace back and forth in about a 12 foot long area, other times (when my kids are playing with Legos in my normal walking space) I march in place. I’ve learned from experience that you can implement house walking no matter how small your living space.

Advantages of House Walking

  • It puts you in a climate controlled area (the weather is always perfect indoors).
  • No equipment is needed.
  • You can do it in tiny living spaces.
  • It’s free.
  • It works with any schedule.
  • Your kids can go about their day and you can keep an eye on them while doing your steps.
  • You can get your steps in no matter what time it is.
  • You can watch TV while you walk around your living room.
  • There are plenty of places to sit down and rest when you need it.
  • You have easy access to water/beverages.
  • It’s great for introverts who like to stay at home.

Disadvantages of House Walking

  • It keeps you inside your home and can lead to too much isolation.
  • It can feel boring when compared to getting outside and walking.
  • It doesn’t give you a chance to get some solitude if you’re a parent.
  • Because it can be done any time, procrastination is tempting.
  • It doesn’t remove you physically from food like going out for a long walk does.
  • It doesn’t work well for people who want to walk with someone else.

How to Start House Walking

  1. Set a step goal for yourself.
  2. Get up and walk around your house at intervals throughout the day. Experiment to see whether you prefer to make a path through your house, or to pace, or to march in place.
  3. Hit your step goal and  give yourself a pat on the back. Focus on hitting your step goal every day.

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