There are many health benefits that come with even a little bit of physical exercise. Walking, for example, delivers a certain health boost and if you make it a habit, it can help you get rid of the extra pounds as well. More and more people are embracing this idea and try to make walking their form of exercise. It makes sense because it’s so easy to incorporate walking to your normal daily routine. However, not all succeed in doing it every day. So here we list some tips and tricks that you can use in order to make walking a lifelong, fun habit.

One common mistake many people make in walking, or any kind of exercise, is trying to start big. Make realistic and achievable goals. These goals should not strain you to a point where you feel like you’re exhausting yourself. The distance you start with should be short, increasing as you go.

If you are walking in order to shed off some extra pounds, imagine the type of body you will have after losing it. It’s called fitspiration. This will keep you motivated throughout your journey to weight loss.

The brain works best when there is a positive reinforcement. After completing a walk, congratulate and reward yourself. A reward can be a trip to a spa or a long good shower. When there are some positive reinforcements, the mind tends to create more desire to do more. This will make the activity more fun and something you will look forward to doing again.

To increase your chances of sticking to the habit, post your daily walks in a place you can see them daily. This will constantly remind you of the activity you are trying to do and can give you a feeling of accomplishment. You can use websites, apps, and tools like Pedometers, JogTracker, Map My Walk or DailyMile.

Do not generalize the task or activity at hand. Instead of saying you would walk 5 miles a week, you can say you will wake up one hour earlier and walk for a mile 5 times a week. Or set yourself to walk 10,000 steps a day. It’s much easier to develop a habit when the mind and body fully understand what the task is and how it will be achieved.

Consistency will make the process easier. We hear this a lot, that it takes 21 days to form a habit. So give it a try and stick to the activity for the next 3 weeks.

The above tips will go a long way in helping you make walking a daily habit and a healthy lifestyle choice. When you decide to start going for walks, you will start seeing the results almost immediately. You will feel changes both mentally and physically.