Get Moving this Walktober!

Did you know that walking is Maryland’s state exercise? And October 2020 has been designated as Walktober, a month to get outside and enjoy all the benefits walking offers to your body, mind, and sense of wellbeing. SNAP-Ed is here to help you take more steps this month--here’s how you can join in the fun!

Follow us!
We’ll be sharing daily tips, ideas, and motivations to work walking into your day. Follow our Facebook page to stay in the loop. If you’re not on social media, follow along using these Walk Maryland Adventure Guides.
 Week 1 Calendar
 Week 2 Calendar
 Week 3 Calendar
 Week 4 Calendar 

Weekly Challenges
Each week we’ll be sharing a challenge via social media and the Walk Maryland Adventure Guide. Take on the challenge, and share your progress! Post your thoughts, photos, discoveries, or triumphs as comments on our Facebook page, or email your submission to eatsmartmd@gmail.com.

The first week’s challenge is to take at least 3 5-minute walking breaks each day. Walk as quickly as you can during these walking breaks to get the most benefit for your body!

Connect and Motivate

Walking on its own is time well spent, but you can double up the benefits by using the time on your feet to connect with others! This is also a great way to motivate one another to stay active all month long. Try these tips for connecting with friends, family, and coworkers while walking:

• Walking buddies: Recruit a friend or group of colleagues to take the Walk Maryland challenges with you! You can check in on each other’s progress and send encouraging text messages.
  
• Audio book club: Pick an audio book for a group of friends to listen to while walking. When everyone is finished, discuss the book during a group walk (in person or on the phone).
  
• Text message group: Start a group text message thread with walking buddies. Send motivations, reminders, and encouragement to one another to get out there and walk! This is a great way to connect with coworkers who keep a similar schedule.
  
• Motivational podcasts: Make walking time "me" time. While walking, listen to a podcast to help reach other personal goals.
  
• Challenge one another: Challenge your family, friends and coworkers to take the weekly Walk Maryland challenge, or create your own! Challenge one another to walk a certain number of steps, miles, or minutes each day or over the course of the week.

Track your Progress
Whether you're challenging your best friend to a step off, or just want to beat yesterday’s record, tracking physical activity helps you stay motivated. Here are some ways you can keep a record of your progress:

• Time: No fancy apps required! Keep a list of minutes walked each day on paper or in your phone’s notes app. If you don’t have time for a long walk, take a few short walks throughout the day.  Minutes can really add up!
  
• Map My Walk: A free app that lets you create walking routes in your neighborhood, and track your distance, pace, calorie burn, elevation, and more.
  
• FitBit App Mobile Tracker: If you have a FitBit, you’re all set to track your daily steps and other activity, as well as challenge other app users to friendly step competitions. You can also use free apps like this one without having the fitbit watch to track your progress!

We look forward to Walking Maryland together in October.