Is There Something Holding You Back?

 My friend Kris has become one of my regular walking buddies.  She short like me but moves fast so she and I are able to walk at a comparable rate.  We typically walk on Sundays and try to get in another walk during the week, depending on our schedules.  She's also a biker.

Recently Kris fell and suffered a serious injury to her knee, requiring stitches which became infected, swelling, and a lot of pain.  Still, she realized that babying herself or her knee was not the best thing she could do.  Despite the fact that she couldn't bend her knee to allow a proper stride, she wanted to walk.

So, I let her establish our pace and determine how long we'd walk.  I actually had to put the brakes on so she wouldn't push herself too far. 

What's right about what Kris did?  First, she was determined to continue her stress-relieving walks but she listened to her body and didn't overdo.  She iced and rested but she didn't allow her knee to swell up more with disuse and stiffen.  She used painkillers sparingly, just enough to allow her mobility.

I admire Kris' determination.  Her gentle walking increased blood flow to the injured knee and hastened healing despite the setbacks of a stitch infection and swelling.  Now that the infection is under control and the swelling has almost disappeared, she's pretty much back to her normal speed and duration of exercise.  Had she remained on the sofa or at her desk for the past two weeks, she would have had to work diligently to regain her endurance and speed.

There's a lesson here for all of us.  There will always be things to hold us back.  Chores, people, laziness, lethargy, pain.  If we let these things determine how we live our lives, we are not able to live the best life.  In the moment, it's often difficult to figure out how to take care of ourselves.  That's why it's best to have a plan in place, a daily and weekly plan, that includes time for walking or other exercise that you can and will do on a regular basis.  Walking and dancing are the two for me.  What's on your list for yourself?



*************************** Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

What's Next?

 What's next on your exercise regimen?  Spring is here (in the Midwest) and I find it especially difficult to remain indoors at my desk or doing other chores at home and office.  Today, I discovered a bit late that I had the day off.  No office for me!  Since the weather is glorious, if I don't count the pollen count, I laced up my shoes and hit the pavement with my four-legged baby in tow.

There are several pleasures of walking in late morning or early afternoon.  Kids are in school.  Less traffic.  No need to rush myself to get home to start dinner or whatever.  I made a mental map of where to walk and headed for it.  At almost the farthest point from my home on this route is a tiny bit of wooded trail that crosses a teeny stream between the back of a subdivision and a middle school.  The entire trail is perhaps 1/10th mile - but it's a miniature wonderland to me, well worth the walk.

Today with trees all leafy, ground cover blooming like crazy, and only a tiny streak of water in the 'creek', doggie and I slowed down to enjoy the shadowy oasis.  There's even a relatively new bridge across the creek that was built by a scout troop.  One could sit and read a book (bring your own chair) or just veg here for an hour at the time of day we were there.

In the hours before and after school, this little trail is covered with kids walking to and from the three schools that are lined up just north of the wooded area.  This is the third such trail that I've discovered.  I often tailor my walks to include one of these tiny trails.  Without using gas to drive to a park, I'm able to enjoy, albeit briefly, all the joys of a larger park.  The vegetation is just dense enough that if I turn the right way I can't see any house or school, no signs of  'civilization'. 

Have you discovered any such trails in your neighborhood?  I know there are more near me because I see the trodden down vegetation at the edge of the school grounds in various areas.  I'll explore those trails another day.






*************************** Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

Multi-tasking

What does walking have to do with multi-tasking? You can use walking to get two important things done at once.

Exercise and stress management

Rid of leg cramps and energizing yourself

Losing weight and toning up

Avoiding the squabbling teens at home (or other squabblers) and gaining serenity

Exercising you and the dog

Catching up on your latest music, NPR program, or audiobook while getting into shape

I'm sure there are more multi-tasking ideas. Got any for us?




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

March Madness

No, this is not about basketball. I'm not a fan. I know that March is a huge month in the world of College Basketball, but it's a bigger month in St. Louis as it's usually the time when we get our first whiff of Spring!

Spring. Ahhhhh. God's promise that the World will renew and continue. I love Spring. I begin to think of not having to wear a huge coat and gloves, of flowers sprouting, of warm rain, of the wonderful smell of 'green'.

It's a great time to begin a walking program if you're not already a walker. If you are already working a walking program, it's finally time when you can begin to think about walking safely outside again - even if you have to carry an umbrella. I actually have a pair of old (and not waterproof) walking shoes that I keep in the garage for those days when I just can't help myself - when I MUST walk outside in the warm rain, no matter how wet I get!

What about you? What does Spring look like in your world? Is it Spring in your world in March? Down Under - where my mother in law now resides - March heralds Winter with its cold, damp winds. Ugh!

Do you have a plan for shedding your winter wardrobe and walking outside more in Spring? let us know.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.