Before you start your walk or run, it is important to do a warm up to move better and avoid injury. This should include a gentle walk (~5 mins – this can count towards total kms as well!), some active lower body stretches and dynamic movements if possible! An example warm up is:  leg swings forwards/backwards (1), leg swings side to side (2), calf raises (3) and bodyweight squats (4). You should repeat each movement for 30 seconds. These movements should not be pushed beyond the range that you are comfortable with.

Stretches after your walk or run are just as important as your warm up and can help reduce stiffness and soreness in your lower limbs. These are generally more static in nature and can include: calf stretches (1), hamstring stretches (2), quad stretches (3) and reaching for your toes (4). Hold each position for 20-30 seconds each side and repeat up to 3 times. Again, these stretches are not meant to be pushed beyond what you can do – while some discomfort is acceptable, you shouldn’t feel any pain.

While you might be more motivated at the beginning of your walk or run, it’s important to maintain a steady pace. If you go to hard too soon you might increase your risk of injury and fatigue. You can introduce intervals if you want to push yourself, by picking a time frame (i.e. 15 seconds) or a landmark (i.e. next lamp post) where you can walk or run as fast as you can before resuming a normal pace.

Make yourself a calendar and plan out what days you might walk or run, while allowing for rest days and for time off during busy work periods of social events.

If you are a bit unfit or deconditioned at the start of the challenge, you should plan to increase the distance each walk or run slowly. For example, you might start by walking 2kms and see how you feel, before slowly increasing it to 3kms, then 4.

Keep your walks and runs as varied by planning new routes and finding new scenery. This will keep it interesting and keep you motivated! You might discover parts of Melbourne you haven’t seen before, even in your own neighbourhood!

Encourage friends and family to walk or run with you – this can help keep you accountable and help you reach your goal, while also making it more fun! Chatting while walking or running is not only a great way to pace yourself, it can also distract you from the kms or time slowly ticking by.

The biggest and most important tip is to have fun! Who knows, you may love walking or running every other day with a group and continue it well after September ends!