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Dear Friends -
I just got home from 10 days in Paris, and my step counter is still in shock. Most days I looked up near sunset and realized I’d logged close to 20,000 steps without trying. Turns out getting happily lost in the Marais, pausing for café-people-watching, and chasing the perfect niche perfume is a foolproof way to forget you’re exercising.
Back in Chicago, I keep that momentum by hopping on my compact walking pad for about an hour each morning. My “carrot” is screen time:
Brain-fuel mode: an episode of MasterClass on leadership, creativity, or anything that might sharpen my Third-Act toolbox.
Pure-fun mode: one gloriously trashy reality show (Summer House or The Valley) as a reward for moving my feet.
Either way, the rule is simple: no watch, no reality tv until the belt is rolling.
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Why steps—not marathons—matter
Research keeps confirming that you do not need the mythical 10,000-step day to see results:
Daily steps | What studies show |
|---|---|
≈ 4,000 | Significant drop in risk of early death and better heart health. |
≈ 7,000–8,000 | Each extra 1,000 steps cuts all-cause mortality by about 15 percent; benefits start to level off beyond 8,000. |
Benchmarks to try
Find your baseline: Track a normal week without changing anything.
Add 500–1,000 steps per day each week until you hit a range you can keep on weekdays.
Sprinkle in a longer “Paris Day” on weekends to explore a neighborhood on foot.
Protect your joints: cushioned shoes and soft surfaces when possible.
Four creative ways to make walking irresistible
(adapted from Jancee Dunn’s recent New York Times Well newsletter)
Trick | How it works | Try it today |
|---|---|---|
Sound Stroll | Leave your phone in your pocket and tune in with your ears first. Once you’ve noticed the obvious (chirping birds, passing cars), start hunting for the subtle layers: a distant train horn, the click of a neighbor’s sprinkler, two languages being spoken at once on the corner. The goal is to give your eyes a break and let your hearing pull you down the block. | • Stroll one city block and list five sounds you’ve never registered before. |
Calendar Challenge | Pretend you’re shooting photos for a 12-month wall calendar themed around your own neighborhood. Each walk is a scavenger hunt for the next image—think “July: Rose-covered fence,” “October: Vintage neon sign after dark.” The micro-mission nudges you out the door and rewards curiosity once you’re moving. | • Pick your first month and snap three contenders. |
Counting Walk | Choose one object that’s everywhere (dogs, murals, baseball caps) and start tallying. Counting forces you to look up, observe, and—crucially—extend the walk until you hit your self-imposed target. | • Set a goal of 15 bicycles or 25 “For Sale” signs. |
Color Circuit | Pick a single color before you lace up—maybe cobalt blue or safety-vest orange. Then walk as if you’re curating a gallery of that hue. You’ll start spotting paint splashes, stray bottle caps, even the reflection of a streetlight on a puddle. The world gets unexpectedly vivid when you filter for one shade. | • Start with an easy color like red on a commercial street. |
Quick tips for making these “stick”
Pair with a podcast or playlist only after you’ve completed the first half of the mission. This keeps novelty—not noise—driving the walk.
Set a tiny non-negotiable: five counts, one photo, or one block of color spotting. Momentum usually takes over from there.
Share your finds. Text a friend your sound clip, photo, or final tally—the social accountability boosts follow-through for the next outing.
Pick the trick that speaks to you, lace up, and let me know what you discovered on the way.
Pick a Tracker That Fits Your Life
High-tech or low-tech, the best device is the one you’ll actually use every day. Here’s a quick guide—from free options to fancy smart jewelry—so you can choose what works for you:
Device | Why you might love it | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
Your phone (built-in pedometer) | Zero cost, always nearby if it lives in your pocket | Misses steps when the phone sits on a desk or in a bag and can undercount by ~30 percent over a full day. |
Clip-on waist pedometer | Old-school but impressively accurate (waist units mis-count by <1 percent). | No sleep or heart data; easy to forget on laundry day. |
Smartwatch (Apple Watch, Garmin, Samsung) | Best all-around tracking plus notifications; Apple Watch 6 topped recent accuracy tests. | Needs daily or every-other-day charging; pricier ($249 +). |
Fitness band (Fitbit Charge 6) | Week-long battery, built-in GPS, slim profile; often on sale for ~$120. | Deeper metrics (sleep scores, readiness) hide behind Fitbit Premium at $8.99/mo. |
Smart ring (Oura Ring Gen 4) | My personal favorite: unobtrusive jewelry with 4-6-day battery, stellar sleep and recovery insights, HRV, and new glucose-monitoring integration rolling out in 2025. | Starts at $349 and requires a $5.99/mo membership; step precision is solid for everyday movement but less detailed for speed or distance workouts. |
Screen-free straps (WHOOP 4.0) | Continuous heart-rate and strain data for athletes who hate screens | Subscription-only model ($30/mo) and no on-device display—everything lives in the app. |
Walking-pad readout | Built-in counter that shows steps, distance, and time while you binge MasterClass or reality TV | Only counts while you’re on the pad, so pair it with one of the wearables above for a full-day picture. |
Pro tip: pick a device you can forget you’re wearing (or carrying). Consistency beats bells and whistles.
Post-walk stretches that saved me in Paris
Stretch | How to do it | Hold |
|---|---|---|
Calf wall stretch | Hands on wall, one leg back, heel flat, lean until calf lengthens. | 30 sec/side |
Standing hamstring reach | Rest heel on low step, hinge at hips until you feel back-of-thigh stretch. | 30 sec/side |
Kneeling hip-flexor stretch | One knee down, opposite foot forward, gentle hip press. | 30 sec/side |
Figure-4 glute stretch | Lie on back, ankle over opposite knee, pull leg toward chest. | 30 sec/side |
Cat-Cow | On hands and knees, alternate arching and rounding spine to loosen lower back. | 8–10 reps |
Do these right after you kick off your shoes, and your hips and calves will thank you tomorrow.
One small step
Pick one idea—maybe the Color Circuit—or schedule a 15-minute “walking pad + guilty-pleasure TV” block tomorrow morning. Reply and tell me which one you tried and how it felt. Your story might inspire someone else in our community to lace up.
See you on the sidewalk,
Cara Gray
Third Act Consultant, CPRC, CEPA™️
P.S. Forward this to a friend who keeps saying they “need to move more.” They can subscribe here and join us for the next stroll.
P.P.S. If you want to start planning your third act, set up a time on my calendar for a chat: Schedule a Chat with Cara