Are you sitting at home? Working at home, perhaps? Working at a desk somewhere? If so, my fitness challenge to you is a simple one today: get up for a minute and take a stroll.

Welcome to the first of our challenges for the month, which will take the form of exercise “snacks” that aim to disrupt your routine just a bit.

This spring, I got into the habit of taking a half-hour walk around the neighbourhood, just to get out of the house a little bit. But as the weather has gotten hotter, it’s been harder to find a time for a long walk without putting it during the heat of the day. But what if I took three 10-minute walks instead? That suddenly sounds a lot more doable.

So for this coming week, here’s what we’re going to do. Get yourself a sheet of paper, label it with the days of the week, and give yourself a sticker or something like a drawn-on smiley face every time you go for a walk around the block. If you’re trapped inside, make that five or ten minutes of pacing around your flat or office. If you’ve got mobility issues, this doesn’t have to be walking—just do whatever it takes to get away from your desk or your phone for a few minutes.

I always forget how my brain loosens up a bit after a walk around the block. It only takes a few minutes of letting my body work and my mind wander to feel a little more like I can keep the world in perspective. Give it a try, and see how many of these mini walks you can work into your day. Let us know below how it goes, and we’ll be back next week with a different flavour of “snack” to try.

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