Going For A Tech Free Walk

I don’t think there is any denial that technology has become absolutely woven into the fabric of our society. Everything from the phones in our pocket, the computers at work, the smart watches we wear on our wrist, and the televisions in our home.

Everywhere you go, there is a piece of technology that you are interacting with either for entertainment or for means of work.

As of 2025, it is estimated that the average American is spending almost 8.5 hours a day engaging with some sort of screen. That is almost 60 hours a week. – With more than half of this time being spent on entertainment (social media, TV, video games, etc…)

With so much free time being spent sitting behind screens, it is no surprise that the amount of activity the average American gets has also gone down significantly. – Roughly 30% of adults in America are considered inactive. Meaning 30% of people in America do not meet even the minimum amount of recommended exercise. (140mins/week or 20mins/day)

So, with screen times up and activity levels down, I want to offer a simple solution that kills two birds with one stone. – A solution that will not only give you a break from technology, regardless of how you use it, but will also get your body moving.

I’m talking about a tech free walk!

Not a phone free walk, a tech free walk!

Put it all away baby, the social inputs can wait until later.

How to go on a tech free walk:

The idea of going for a tech free walk is a very easy thing to imagine, you simply leave ALL your technology at home and walk, not hard right? Well, for some people, the thought of going anywhere without a phone can be challenging, let alone going for a walk…

And that makes sense, technology dependence is at an all time high and only getting higher.

So, to make this as painless as possible, I am going to break down how to take a tech free walk in (3) simple steps:

1. Planning the walk
2. Putting all technology away
3. Going for the walk  

Step 1 – Planning The Walk

When it comes to planning your walk, you want to keep a few things in mind. Comfortability, time, and location.

Remember there a multitude of benefits from not only walking, but from also being away from your technology. So, do your best to challenge yourself when planning your walk, in both distance/time, and where you walk.

Comfortability: There are many reasons why someone may not feel comfortable going for a tech free walk, or even a walk in general for that matter. Mostly the reasons boil down to a sense of fear. – It could be fear of interaction, it could be a fear of the elements, maybe even a fear of potential injury.

I bring this point up because I think it’s important to understand where your comfort level is at, so that you can plan a walk that you end up doing and truly enjoying. – Because the goal is to do it more than once.

I would say a good rule of thumb when just starting out is to set your walk to roughly a 7 out of 10 on your current comfort scale. – It should be challenging enough, physically and mentally, to have you truly feeling like you did something different.

Time/Distance: When it comes to carving out time for your walk, give yourself at least 30 minutes. – At an average walking speed this is a distance of about 1.5 – 2 miles (2.5km – 3.5km)

when planning your walk, there are only (2) ways you can structure it. You can perform your walk in a loop, or you can do a straight out, straight back approach. If you’re new to walking, I recommend finding trail that can be scaled into a longer walk. – Meaning you can expand the loop or walk further straight out and back.

This will allow you to have more flexibility with the same amount of planning.

You may already have a walk in mind that you are familiar with and know exactly how long or how far it is. But if you have no idea on how long a walk is going to take, I highly suggest just picking a spot you know you can walk to, and map it out using your map app. – And then of course, leaving the phone at home before you leave the house.

Not sure what route to take, or want to know how long the one you are taking is? – See the below on mapping a walk using the Footpath app.

Location: Picking a location to go for you tech free walk can be either fun and exciting, or very challenging. It all depends on your comfort level. – If danger is the first thing that goes through your head when you think of stepping out of the house with no phone or any other type of technology. Than in the beginning, you may want to stick to areas you are familiar with.

There are many suggestions I can make when it comes to picking a location to go for your walk:

• For a people watching, high traffic walk. – Pick a city center or a busy main street.
• Looking for something accessible? – Look no further than your neighbourhood.
• Maybe you are looking for something with more trees and nature. – Look for local parks and natural areas.
• Maybe you enjoy looking at houses and different neighbourhoods – Drive to a new neighbourhood.

Because this is a tech free walk, and technology dependence is a very real thing. Picking where you walk can be a very important step in not only enjoying the walk but in feeling the mental benefits of disconnecting. – Have fun with it, go explore new areas with no other intentions than to just walk.  

Step 2 – Putting all the technology away.

This step of the process is probably the quickest step, but also the most important. It is now time to put all your technology away.

I am not talking about just putting your phone away, I mean everything. To really have a tech free walk, you need to put away every little piece of technology that is going to distract you from your walk.

Things you need to put away:

• Phones
• Music players
• Watches
• Smart glasses
• GPS
• Smart rings

To sum it up; if it tracks, distracts, or records, then put it away!

It will be there for you when you come back.

Step 3: – Going for the walk

Now that you have your walk planned and your technology put away, it is now time to leave the house and walk. A few things you should consider before leaving the house:

• Are you dressed for the weather
• Do you need water
• What shoes should you take

If you live in an area where the weather is unpredictable, then dress according to what you feel the weather may do. Depending on how long your walk may take, or how challenging it is, you may want to bring a bottle of water.

And don’t forget to wear an appropriate pair of shoes.

One thing to note when it comes to actually going for the walk. If being separated from technology or even walking is new to you, then the first 10 minutes of your walk is going to seem like the hardest.

But just keep going, finish the walk. It will be well worth it.

Benefits Of Going For A Tech Free Walk:

There are a multitude of health benefits of going for a tech free walk. Not only mentally, but physically as well.
Mental Benefits:

• Reduced Stress: It’s very hard to think your way out of a stressful situation! And if much of our stress is tied to what channels through our phones, going for a tech free walk will almost certainly reduce any given amount of stress you feel.
• Better focus: Giving your mind a break from the screens and allowing yourself to focus on what’s only in front of you will increase your focus almost immediately.
• Mental & emotional clarity: A tech free walk provides you with limited distractions. This will give your brain the space needed to reflect and solve personal problems.
• Improves creativity & mindfulness: Going for a tech free walk will not only encourage creativity by reducing stress and improving focus. But it will also make you more mindful. Simply by being present with everything that surrounds you.  

Physical benefits:

• Increased muscle mass: Most trails you walk will have inclines and declines. But even just walking on a flat surface will help support muscles throughout the whole body.
• Improved cardiovascular health: The more you walk, the more blood needs to flow, the more blood needs to flow, the more your heart needs to work. These are all good things for cardiovascular health.
• Weight loss: Ask even the most seasoned athletes, they will tell you how important walking is for managing their fitness and staying in shape.
• Improved bone & joint health: With each step you take your body is fighting gravity and coming into contact with the earth. This over time will help you build stronger joints and improve bone density.

Listen, there is no shortage of benefits from taking a tech free walk. Not only are you breaking the habit of needing to be reliant on a piece of technology, but you are getting out and being physical.

Each time you decide to go on a tech free walk you are making the choice to just simply enjoy the world and everything it has to offer, one step at a time.

Enjoy your walk and enjoy your time.

One proud human,