Want to declutter your home? Want to burn calories and exercise? Do you have a hard time figuring out how to make time for exercise and home organization? The declutter walk might be the answer for you!
During the summer I love to go on evening walks. I wear my Fitbit so I can track my steps, and I just enjoy being outside, getting some exercise, and maybe even listening to a podcast or two.
Now that the days are shorter, and the temperatures are lower, getting outside for a walk isn’t always an option. Plus, we are hosting family at our house for the holidays, so I’m hyper-focused on getting our home Christmas-company ready.
The solution? The declutter walk. Here’s how it works:
How to Do a Declutter Walk
- Put on some shoes that will protect your feet. You’re going to be moving and working!
- Set up donate and trash containers if you think you’ll need them.
- Set a timer for the amount of time you’d like to walk. I usually do 30 minutes at a time if I can, but do what you can! It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about doing any type of exercise before beginning a new exercise program.
- Turn on a podcast to listen to during your declutter walk if you worry about getting bored. Here are some podcast recommendations.
- Start walking around your house!
- Look for items that need to be decluttered. As you’re walking, pick up one item at a time and put it where it’s supposed to go (in the trash, in your donate box, or put away).
- Keep moving! Purposefully try to walk around as much as possible. If you’re trying to get in more steps, you can take the longest routes to put things away.
- Hydrate. If you get thirsty, of course, get a drink of water.
Because the declutter walk isn’t focused on a certain area of the home, I usually don’t take before and after pictures like I would for a 10-minute tidy. However, you could focus on a certain area of your home and take before and after pictures if you wanted to. I find that when I’m only working in one area, step #7 above is even more important.
After each declutter walk I check my Fitbit to see how many steps I put in during the declutter walk session. I’m usually able to get in 2,500-3,000 steps during a typical 30-minute declutter walk.
What If I Get Interrupted During a Declutter Walk?
Honestly, I almost never make it through a declutter walk without some type of interruption. If I need to stop, I just stop my timer. When I’m ready to start the declutter walk again, I put the timer back on and finish the remainder of my 30 minutes.
Will Declutter Walking Really Make a Difference?
If you do them consistently, yes! The declutter walk is all about making do-able progress on your clutter and your fitness. If you do a declutter walk each day, you’ll end up doing about 15 hours of walking/decluttering over the course of a month!
Have you tried a declutter walk? How did it go?
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