Why I Never Skip My Morning Walk (And Why You Shouldn’t Either)

Most people think they need to do more to feel better — longer workouts, bigger goals, bigger changes.

But sometimes, it’s the small, simple habits that make the biggest difference.

In this Sunday Session, I’m sharing why a 10-minute walk — yes, just ten minutes — can boost your energy, clear your head, and even strengthen your relationships.

You’ll hear how a quick walk with my aunt turned into one of my favourite moments of the week, plus the science-backed reasons why walking is one of the best things you can do for your body and mind.

So tune in, take a breath, and maybe even take me along on your next walk.

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Transcript

0:00 Hello there, and welcome back to another episode of Sunday Sessions with me, Nick Poninski. Today, I want to talk about something really simple, but surprisingly powerful.
0:09 Walking. And just to be clear, I'm not talking about two or three hour hikes in the Peak District. Although, those are brilliant, if you can do them.
0:17 I'm talking about quick and easy walks, ten, fifteen minutes, here and there. The kinds of walks anyone can fit in, before breakfast, after lunch, or just when you need a simple, quick break.
0:29 And these short walks, they are such a small thing, but they can have a huge impact on your day, and they can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health.
0:38 Now, I first came across the importance of walking years ago, when I was reading Hal Elrod's Miracle Morning. Now, he talks about the daily savers routine, a set of habits to start your day strong.
0:51 Now, I've released a podcast about this in the past, so feel free to go and dig it out if you'd like, if that's something you're interested in.
0:58 I'll be honest though, I've never nailed the whole routine. Meditation, I mean, I've tried it more times than I can count, and it just hasn't ever clicked for me.
1:08 But two habits that did stick are journaling and walking. So now, every morning, I get up, wash my face, drink some water, and then head out for a quick 10-15 minute walk before I do anything else.
1:21 Before breakfast, before looking at my phone, before work, before anything. And for me, it is such a great way to start the day.
1:28 Such a simple way to start the day. My blood's pumping, I'm getting sunlight to help regulate my sleep, and I feel like I've already ticked something off the list before the day even begins.
1:38 One of things My favourite parts of walking, though, is how it creates those little windows of connection. Just last week, my aunt came to visit, you know, the house was busy, everyone catching up, chatting over tea, sharing updates.
1:52 We, I invited her along to join me on my morning walk before I started my day, and she said, you know what, let's do it.
1:58 So we decided to sneak out for that quick half an hour walk, just the two of us. It was lovely, no noise, no distractions, just some quiet time outside, just the two of us catching up properly.
2:09 We've always had a great relationship, but that little walk was just such a nice way to build on it, and moments like that remind me that walking isn't just good for your body, it's great for your relationships too.
2:28 To further emphasise this, during lockdown we weren't supposed to be going to see anyone, or even leave the house apart from our daily walk, and I developed a habit with my friend Rookie.
2:34 And every Friday, after lunch, without fail, this must have gone on for, I don't know, maybe six months or something.
2:41 Every Friday, without fail, we would go out for a walk and talk for a longer time, for about an hour.
2:47 I would just walk in circles around this nature reserve, just enjoying the nature my house, and we would just catch up.
2:53 It was such a simple and effective way to use the time. We would send each other a message and say, what time are we having this Friday walk and talk today.
3:02 And, again, it was just lovely. This is a guy who lives in Swansea. So, I'll I was living in Leeds.
3:08 We had so, there was so much distance between us, but mentally we'd never been as close because we were just spending so much time together in a one-on-one conversation.
3:19 I want to get back to that, but at the moment that happened. But there are so many other benefits to walking.
3:27 Some obvious, some less so. So there's energy and focus. You feel more alert and switched on after a walk, right?
3:33 You know what I'm talking about. You get back to your desk or you get back from your walk and you feel, Yeah, that was really good.
3:41 There's also a stress relief, right? Especially if you can walk somewhere calm. Near water, under trees, or just away from screens and cars.
3:49 You will feel calmer because you are in a lovely, nice, Nice. In that trill environment, and that is something that our, you know, our brains, it craves.
4:01 And there's also a benefit of digestion. A short walk after meals, it really helps your body process food better, and it stops that sleepy slump after lunch.
4:10 You know, we've all been there, while after lunch, we've been, you know, a little bit sleepy or whatever. That's because when we are digesting food, that's one of the most tiring things that our bodies can do.
4:23 That's why we get tired after lunch. But if we go out for a short walk- log, it stops that sleepy slump.
4:29 Instead, we get energized because we are moving, because the heart is pumping. You also get creativity and clarity. So ideas flow when you're moving, right?
4:39 In fact, these Sunday sessions were born on one of my morning walks. I kept thinking to myself, yeah, I really need to share more with my audience.
4:49 And that's when I thought about this. I was like, you know what? I'm out here walking. I'm out here having all these ideas floating to my head about what I should be talking about.
4:59 When I should be talking about it, you'll notice that the first few Sunday sessions, there is birds singing in the background because I was recording these Sunday sessions as I was walking around.
5:10 I just found it really easy to be able to talk into the camera. Unfortunately, I had a few people tell me they couldn't hear me very well, so I no longer go outside and do it.
5:21 I just do it when I'm get- when I'm sat back at my desk. It's absolutely fine. But there's also the social connection as well.
5:27 This is the last major benefit I really want to talk about. Walk and talks are brilliant. As I say, my mate Rucky and I had that standing Friday afternoon walk.
5:36 We talk about work, life, whatever. And it was one of the highlights of my week. And the science backs all of this up.
5:43 Walking supports high health, irregulars, blood sugar. Okay. It even helps with maintaining a healthy way, right? You know, we know that we burn off calories by going out for work.
5:54 But you don't just have to think of it in these terms. Just think of it as something that makes you feel good.
5:59 Because it really does. You know, we've all been out for walks. We've all released. Those really, you know, nice chemicals from our brain.
6:08 It feels like our brain is getting a nice little bubble bath, right? We are releasing all those endorphins and those dopamine.
6:17 It feels really good to go for it. Oh, look, it's that simple. So if you want to build a habit of going out for a walk, here's what works for me.
6:25 Keep it simple. Start with one or two short walks a day. Tie it to something that you already do after lunch before your first coffee, between meetings.
6:35 Maybe, you know, you can do that Pomodoro session, you know, 50 minutes of work, and then 10 minutes of walking.
6:43 You can make it social. You know, invite a friend, or do a quick walk while you, uh, quick call while you walk.
6:49 And then track it, right? I keep- a daily checklist of my habits. So I've got six things that I need to do every day, and I reward myself at the end of the month with whatever it is I really want to reward myself to make sure that I achieve everything on my checklist.
7:06 Now you can do that same thing. For me, I've got journaling, reading, and yes, walking. And there's something really satisfying about taking those boxes.
7:15 It keeps me really consistent. You know, I don't want to have any gaps in those checklists, in that, uh, checklist.
7:21 And I also want to achieve whatever it is that I- I want to reward myself with. And you can do the same thing.
7:27 And I guess I want to say, overall, walking is simple, it's free, and it's something almost everyone can do. But it's so easy to overlook because it feels so easy.
7:38 So this week, I want to- I heard you. Find those little moments to get outside. Five minutes here, ten minutes there.
7:44 It doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful. Anyway, that's all I've got to say on that. But thank you for listening along.
7:53 Hopefully today's session was really useful. And as always, because it's Sunday, embrace the change. Because how we change is how we grow.