How to Make Walking More Fun on the Same Old Route

If the pavement is familiar enough to walk on autopilot, give yourself something specific to look for along the way.

You know exactly which paving stone tips under your shoe. You've passed the same hedge so often that you couldn't describe it. The route gets you where you're going; you'd like something else to notice.

If you're wondering how to make walking more fun, give your usual route one small mission: find a colour, notice an unusual detail, or choose a scene to photograph. Keep the route and pace comfortable, stop somewhere safe before using your phone, and finish when you planned to. Change the mission next time.

We make MirrorMii, a game built around quests and chosen moments from a real day. We like a walk that gives you something to look for, with room to put the phone away.

What should you look for?

Pick one mission before leaving. Make it concrete enough that you'll know when you've found something, and loose enough that the walk doesn't become an exam.

Try "a blue thing that isn't a car". You might find a painted gate, a shop awning or a glove someone has left on a fence. Pick something you'd normally pass without looking twice.

Other missions to borrow:

• Find a plant growing somewhere unexpected.
• Notice a window display you've never really looked at.
• Choose one texture: brick, bark, peeling paint or wet leaves.
• Look for something someone has repaired.
• Find a detail you'd put on a postcard of your neighbourhood.

Stay on a familiar public route. A locked gate or a private garden can remain interesting from the pavement. You don't need a better photograph badly enough to follow it somewhere awkward.

Your mission also needs an ending. After you've found your blue thing, keep walking without replacing it with five more tasks. You can spend the rest of the route wondering who painted that gate such an excellent colour.

Would taking a photo spoil the walk?

Take a picture if choosing the picture is part of the fun. Leave it if the camera turns an interesting pause into a negotiation with the light.

In a 2016 study of photography and enjoyment, Kristin Diehl, Gal Zauberman and Alixandra Barasch found that taking photos increased enjoyment of positive experiences when it increased engagement. The benefit was less likely when photography interfered with the experience. Their work covered settings including tours, meals and museum visits; it doesn't promise that photographing a walk will make it enjoyable.

Use a simple rule for this outing: one subject, one stop, then carry on. Put your phone away before moving again. You can decide later whether the photo needs editing or sharing.

You can also bring back a description. "The house with a front door the colour of a swimming float" is a perfectly good thing to tell a friend. Nothing has to be uploaded for your mission to count.

For a longer photography project, our photo a day challenge has ideas beyond a single route. Today's walk can stay as small as finding one thing you hadn't noticed.

How do you change a route you can't change?

Change the question you bring to it. You may need the same route for your commute, your dog, the shops or a planned return time. You can keep that structure and choose a different detail inside it.

On one walk, look up at signs and rooflines when you've stopped somewhere clear. On another, notice the ground close to you: the mosaic by a doorway, a repaired step, leaves caught against a wall. Keep your attention available for crossings, traffic and people as you go.

Try making the return leg answer the outward leg. If you noticed a shop window on the way out, see what detail you missed when you pass it again. If you're walking with someone, each choose a favourite thing and show the other on the way back.

An indoor route works too. In a public place where walking is allowed, choose a display, architectural detail or colour to notice. Respect photography rules and other people's space. You don't need a park, a scenic trail or an extra purchase for this idea.

When a walk already feels full of conversation or music you enjoy, you can leave the mission out. It's one optional way to play with a familiar route.

What if company is the missing part?

Ask someone to join a walk you were already going to take. Be clear about the route and finish time, so a casual invitation doesn't quietly become a whole afternoon.

Give each other a question with some room in it: "Which shop would you have opened here?" or "What would you keep if they rebuilt this street?" The answers can be ridiculous. A bakery devoted entirely to the corner pieces of brownies deserves a hearing.

If you prefer walking alone, save one observation to send later. You could photograph a sign a friend would enjoy, or leave yourself a note about a place you want to mention. Don't turn the outing into a live reporting job unless you actually enjoy doing that.

Want a quest to return to afterwards?

MirrorMii is a game you play with moments from your real day. The Quest Board holds quests from Genii, the island's host. Snap something for a quest and earn pieces for Miia's wardrobe, then see what Miia does next.

A choice in our design matters here: capturing a moment, handing in verified pieces, and choosing where to spend them are separate actions. Taking a photograph doesn't directly turn it into an outfit. That leaves the player with something to decide after the picture.

Use that distinction for your walk too. Choose the thing you want to notice before you reach for the camera. If you found a blue glove and came home with a story, the route has already given you something to bring back.

FAQ

What if I don't find anything for my mission?

Finish your planned walk anyway. Choose an easier mission next time, or change today's question to what you actually noticed. Looking for an unusual plant might lead you to an interesting wall instead. You can keep that observation without extending the route until you find the original object.

Can I do this without a phone?

You can keep the whole mission in your head. Choose a colour or detail before leaving, then remember one thing to describe afterwards. If you enjoy writing, make a short note when you're home. A camera is an optional way to keep what you found.

What if I only have a short walk?

Use the route you already have and one question that fits it. On the way to the corner shop, notice a sign, a plant or something newly repaired. Keep the same finish time. This is a way to add interest to the outing you have, so there's no required distance.

Find your next quest in MirrorMii. Explore quests from Genii, then follow Miia's own story. Join Free