Doing What's Best For Us?

Yes, I've been MIA - but I have been in A (action).  Holidays are difficult when you work, have a house, have an adult kid (student) still living at home and making messes like a kid does, have a 90 year old mom who needs help with many things, is a rotten housekeeper (me, not mom), and tries to walk every day.  Who has time for holidays, I ask you??

Well, we have time for what's important to us!  And, since walking is important to me, I do it.

This brings me to a recent article I read on this very subject.  If we KNOW something is good for us, that it will bring only good things - healthy things - why do we NOT do it?  The subject of the article was exercise.  Years of data has clearly demonstrated that regular exercise - defined by those experts as 150 minutes of exercise each week - yet less than 15 % of the population below age 60 and only 2 % of those above age 60 do this simple activity that gives them only positive benefits.

So, why do we NOT walk?  Too busy?  Don't enjoy it?  It hurts?  It messes up my hair?  It costs too much money?  It's just not for me?

Question marks after each of those is for a reason.  Not one of those reasons is a GOOD reason for not doing something for only about 20 minutes a day when we know it will benefit us.  Heck, it takes me that long to brush my teeth and take a shower every day.  Would I find a 'good' reason not to do that?

If you are a slacker - and yes, that means YOU if you're not doing your 20 minutes a day - then you really need to come up with better reasons.  Like, I broke my leg.  I have a terminal illness that is gonna get me next week.  My husband/wife/kids won't let me.  I hate exercise.  I hate myself.

Yep!  You'd have to hate yourself...... well, not really.  You just have to not place yourself high enough in your list of important people and things.  And, I'm totally not buying the messy hair excuse.  The only expense is some good shoes - that means comfortable, not necessarily $150 high tech gear.  Don't enjoy it?  Tough!  Do it for a few weeks and you'll begin to enjoy it.

And, what about it hurts?  This is the main reason (other than the lame I don't have time) for people, especially those over 40 years of age.  What have I told you about this?  Go back and read some of my previous articles darnit.  It hurts ANYWAY!!  Yes, it hurts if you walk or if you don't walk.

So, take some Tylenol (or your painkiller of choice) 30-60 minutes before your walk.  It will hurt less and you'll get a better walk - longer and likely a bit faster. 

The real question here (or maybe just for me since I'm a bit competitive) is - which percentage do you want to be a part of - the 85% who don't take care of themselves with exercise (if you're a youngster) or the 98% - NINETY EIGHT PERCENT - of those over age 60 who refuse to take care of themselves??  I'm a part of the 2% and I intend to stay there for as long as I have two legs and remain upright.

What about you.  Post your reasons here for NOT walking if you dare.  I double dog dare you!! 



*************************** 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.

'Run Girl'

The actual title of the October 30, 2012 New York Times article is "Road's Hard, but the Music Says, 'Run Girl'"  Now, we are not here to read about running - but the article is pretty cool and, I think, will speak to many of us.  The author hates to run.  Hates it!  But, if she has music in her ears, she can do it.

Do you think she's read my blog about adding bouncy music to your routine?  If not, maybe she should.  I feel her pain - she's had surgery on knees and feet and is now limited to running on a track due to knee damage.  I've had two knee replacements and I do not long for more!  But, I must walk - just as Jan Hoffman, the author of the article, feels compelled to run.

The article is a good read.  Her background is in music.  She has been a DJ and after college she began writing reviews of the radio industry.  I have no background in music except that I really enjoy having music in the background and find that it can motivate me to walk farther and faster.

In case you missed them, you can read my previous article on this subject here and here.  I'd love to hear other music suggestions now that I've finally figured out how to upload music to my Ipod on my own!




*************************** 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.

Exercise May Protect Brain's Size

That's  what an article in the October 30, 2012 issue of the New York Times says.  I believe I've written about this before.  As we know, there is no downside to walking (or other low or no impact exercise).  But, there may be some unforeseen benefits of it.

This article states that remaining physically active as we age may help parts of the brain from shrinking.  Shrinking of brain tissue is a normal part of aging - but it leads to negative changes that we have come to think of as 'normal' in old people - declining memory and dementia come to mind.

No one really aims to be demented, right?  But, now we have serious evidence that we can aim away from those age-related conditions by simply including walking in our daily routine.  Simple, really.  Takes no more than 20-30 minutes a day unless you want to walk more.  Walking is an activity that we already do anyway.  Now, we just need to speed it up a bit and increase the duration of our walks.

If you are a new reader, please go back to some of my earliest posts to find out how you can make walking work for you as an exercise.  Simple, easy, normal.  Not mystical!

*************************** 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.