Walk The Mall
A Unique Way To Get Your Walk In
Who says a trip to the mall is just for shopping? Why not turn your usual mall visit into a walking or running challenge that gets your heart pumping, while also giving you a chance to window shop, explore, and even get some fitness in! Whether you’re aiming to improve your stamina, burn some calories, or just add some fun to your usual routine, this Mall Walking or Running Challenge is the perfect way to make the most of your time indoors.
Plus, I’ve added a creative challenge to spice things up, so you can make your mall fitness adventure a little more exciting. Whether you’re walking or running, here’s how to make it a full experience.
Here’s How To Do It
Step 1: Plan Your Route and Set Your Goal
Start by planning your mall walking or running route. This doesn’t need to be complicated—just think about how you’ll navigate through the mall. You can either:
Walk: This is a great option if you’re looking for a low-impact, fun, and relaxed way to get some steps in.
Run: If you're up for a challenge, consider running around the mall. Depending on your fitness level, you can make it as intense as you want!
Goal Options:
Distance Goal: Set a goal for how much distance you want to cover. For example, a large mall might give you a mile or more to work with if you circle it a few times.
Time Goal: Aim to walk or run for a specific amount of time, such as 30 minutes or 1 hour. Use your fitness tracker or a phone app to track your distance or time.
Steps Goal: You could challenge yourself to hit a step count goal like 5,000, 7,500, or 10,000 steps depending on how much you want to move.
Step 2: Creative Challenge – Mall Fashion Dash
To make things more fun and engaging, add a Mall Fashion Dash to your walk or run. Here’s how it works: as you walk or run around the mall, you’ll have certain fashion-themed challenges that you need to complete at different stores or locations. These challenges will add a fun twist and allow you to explore different parts of the mall while keeping your workout interesting.
How to Play Mall Fashion Dash:
Create a Bingo Card (Optional): You can make a fitness bingo-style card with specific mall challenges to complete as you go through your run or walk. For example, complete a task each time you pass a new store or section.
Fashion Missions: Set 5-10 challenges you need to complete throughout your mall adventure. You can give yourself bonus points for completing them during your walk or run.
Example Fashion Missions:
Try On Something Bold: Walk or run past a clothing store and find the boldest or most colorful item. Try it on and take a photo.
Fashion Trend Spotter: Spot three people wearing a current fashion trend (e.g., oversized jackets, sneakers, bright colors).
Outfit Inspiration: Stop at a store you love and find an outfit that you’d wear to your next special event (e.g., date night, vacation, etc.).
Accessory Hunt: Go to a store that sells accessories and pick out the most unique or quirky accessory you can find.
Celebrity Look-alike: Find an outfit that matches the style of your favorite celebrity or fashion icon. Bonus points if you can recreate a celebrity look with pieces from the store!
Window Shopping Sprint: Do a quick 30-second sprint to the next store of your choice and check out what’s on display in their windows.
Footwear Challenge: Find a pair of shoes (even if you don’t buy them!) and give yourself a “shoe selfie” with your favorite pair.
Sale Spotter: Find an item that’s on sale or discounted and take a quick note of the best deals you spot.
Personal Shopper: Approach a store associate, tell them your style, and have them pick out an outfit for you to try on.
Step 3: Bonus Fitness Challenges
If you’re feeling like taking it to the next level, you can add more physical challenges to your walk or run. Here are some ideas to incorporate into your mall visit:
Walking Challenges:
Walk and Talk: Call a friend or family member while you’re walking. You’ll be so engaged in conversation that you won’t even realize how many steps you’re getting in!
Escalator Intervals: Use the escalators to your advantage. Walk up the escalator as quickly as you can during each trip, then take the elevator or stairs down to recover before repeating.
Mall Stairs Sprint: Find a set of stairs and do short sprints up them. Do 5 sets for a quick boost of energy.
Speed Walk Challenge: Try to speed walk through the mall. Challenge yourself to increase your walking pace every time you pass a certain store.
Running Challenges:
Mall Laps: Run laps around the mall, taking breaks to stretch at intervals or challenge yourself to complete an entire lap without stopping.
Fitness Circuit: After each lap, stop at a different location in the mall (such as a corner or seating area) and do a quick bodyweight exercise like squats, lunges, or push-ups.
Time Trial: Set a goal to run around the mall as quickly as possible, then try to beat your time with each round.
Step 4: Hydrate and Fuel Up
After completing your challenge, it’s time to hydrate and reward yourself! Head to your favorite food court or mall cafe to grab a refreshing smoothie, healthy snack, or protein drink to replenish your energy. This can also be a great time to relax and reflect on your fitness accomplishments.
Post-Challenge Ideas:
Healthy Smoothie: Find a juice or smoothie bar and treat yourself to a refreshing drink after your fitness adventure.
Relax: Find a quiet seating area and take a moment to stretch, cool down, and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.