LOSING THE ANGER

Have you ever been so angry you just wanted to get out of the house (or office)? I have. When I had three teens (of my own plus extras who lived with us for various lengths of time), I would often become frustrated with their irresponsible and immature behavior. One child of mine was especially good at pressing my hot buttons. Fueling the fire by fighting back is never a good thing. But, it takes time and perspective to learn how to cope with the anger and frustration.

Once I had become a dedicated walker, I learned that if I just tied on my shoes and headed out of the house, I was able to leave all the anger and frustration back at home. By the time I returned home 15 to 60 minutes later, the situation had magically changed and the anger and frustration had dissipated. All gone.

Now, this doesn't solve problems in and of itself, but it does help maintain sanity and preserve the family without further damaging what may be fragile relationships.

This same strategy will work on the job too. Kind of like the old words 'Count to Ten' or 'Take a couple of deep breaths'. It really is effective.

Walking is a great stress reducer. Something happens in our brains when we walk for 15 or more minutes. There are actually chemical changes which can be measured. I'm not so concerned with the science of it. I just know it works! And, I'm all for anything that works, harms no one, and benefits everyone involved. And, it's way cheaper than therapy.

So, my new mantra is 'When the going gets tough, the tough go walking'. Try it! You certainly have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain with peace of mind and improved family relationships. I did.



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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.

SPRING SPRINGS FORTH

I love Spring. It's my favorite time of year. I'm not a fan of cold weather and detest those gloomy, dank days of Fall and Winter. Summer and Spring are the times of year when I feel most alive. Fall is pretty, but my asthma always raises its ugly head then, so I don't look forward to it.

This week, we have had Spring in St. Louis. Many trees, the colorful ornamentals we have so many of around town, are starting to bud. The first green spears of tulips and other perennials arise from the messy flower beds. Hens and chicks, those cute green succulents, begin their spread. The grass (or maybe it's just the weeds) in the lawn greens up nicely, having shed its winter coat of dried leaves.

This time of year is pure walking inspiration for me. I've walked outside every day - sometimes twice a day - despite the sprinkles and wind. The freshness of the breezes give me hope that despite the political and economical gloom and doom we can't avoid hearing and reading about will be swept away like those dried leaves.

My dog, Lizzie, is re-learning how to walk on her leash. She is walked year round, but she was naughty two years ago, pulled me down and broke my wrist, so I have been loathe to walk her. Now that she's past the puppy stage and calming down, I'm getting ready, with my husband's help, to give her a second chance at her favorite thing in life - walking with me!

She's a great walking companion except when there's another dog nearby. Then, she forgets her manners and jerks forward. If I'm not alert, she'll have me face down on the concrete or blacktop. If that happens again, she'll be forever consigned to the walking schedule of her 'dad' which is not nearly as regular as my regime.

Despite the friskiness and lack of manners of my own dog, I highly recommend having a dog as your walking companion. Lizzie is ALWAYS ready to walk. She doesn't care what time of day it is, what the weather is like, or what's on TV. She's like the Energizer Bunny - always ready!


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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.

GO FLY A KITE!

One day last week, one of the first days that really felt like Spring, I walked with Kathy G. at the park near our homes. There was a middle-aged woman flying a kite. I love kites. Kathy admitted to not being 'very good' at getting or keeping a kite airborne.

I decided to go fly a kite. Had to buy one first. On a weekend trip out of town, I got a great deal at Dollar Tree - two kites for $1. I don't care what design is on the kite, so I'm easy to please. These are two thin plastic 'fabric' with wooden dowels and 120 feet of nylon 'string'. I think that flying a kite would count for about as much time as walking, especially if I walk up to the park from my house.

So, Kathy, I've got a kite for me and one for you - and we're gonna go fly kites one day next week. I'm hereby challenging you to a kite flight - not a duel. We'll help each other get our kites airborne and walk around the park showing off. What do you say??



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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.

WHO WOULD YOU WALK WITH ?

If you could walk with ANYONE you wanted, living or dead, who would it be? I was thinking about this the other day when I was wishing that my beloved Jasmine, my cockerpoo who began my walking journey with me about 10 years ago, could be with me to walk on a sunny day. She SO loved her walks!

George Clooney has been in St. Louis recently, making a movie. I'd be happy to walk with George Clooney. Not only is he a hunk, but I bet we could have some good talks about his travels to Africa. Other candidates for my 'ultimate' walking partner would be other hunks like Sean Connery or Gregory Peck. But movie stars seem too obvious. Of course, Barak Obama would be fun to walk with. I'd have trouble keeping up with his long legs! Michelle Obama would be grand to walk with, too.

My Dad (who died in 1995) would be a bad choice because he HATED such activities. He's in Heaven sitting in a comfy recliner with a remote, flipping thru every sports channel, with a bowl of cheezits and chocolate chips. Yep - ate those together every night and never gained an ounce. Life ain't fair! My father in law, OTOH, would be a great choice because he was a great observer of nature. Same for my Mamaw. She could identify every flower, tree, and bird we would see on our walk.

I think I would enjoy walking with Barbara Kingsolver, Bill W. , Bill Cosby, and Harper Lee. We'd have lots to talk about. Lesser known, but outstanding walking partners would be John Taylor Gatto (my teaching hero), Maria Montessori, Marie Curie, or Queen Elizabeth.

I'm sure there are others I could dream up. I have a wide-ranging list of interests and never enough time to explore them all. Even Martha Stewart might be fun to walk with - but I wouldn't let her in my house. She'd likely have the vapors if she saw the state of my 'home decor' - as in, we don't have any!!

So, who's on your list of Most Wanted Walking Partners? Don't be shy.


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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.

FINDING YOUR WAY

So, how do you know where to walk? Get out and chart your neighborhood. Get a mental picture of the best routes for walking. Is there a park nearby which you can head to or at least include in your journey? Is there a house with an especially nice yard that you enjoy walking by? Is there a house you want to avoid?

Are you looking to walk on a level route or include some uphill walking in your regime? Level is best for beginners. But, try to add some ups and downs as you gain endurance.

Do you want to avoid busy intersections? When I have my car serviced, I can walk home from the shop but the route requires my crossing a 6 lane state route that looks pretty much like an interstate highway with stop lights. I'm familiar with the signal sequence, so I know when I have time to get all the way across. However, I avoid this route in rush hour. It's just not a walker-friendly route.

If you have school age kids and their school is within walking distance, you have an instant walking route. Plus, you'll have time for quality conversation with your child(ren) and encourage them to walk more too. Remember how most of us over the age of 30 walked to and from school every day? No one came to harm and it was a great time to de-stress from the school day.

So, think of a destination - the library, the grocery store, the school, the park - and walk to and from it if you can. Maybe you'll only do this on fair weather days. That's okay. You're in charge of your walks so walk when and where it suits you. But, do walk. Try to make it meaningful, enjoyable, worth your time. Before long, you'll wonder why you ever drove to these neighborhood destinations.



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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.

WE'RE GOING NATIONAL!!

Did you know that April 8 is National Start! Walking Day? I didn't. This 'holiday' was initiated by the National Heart Association and is aimed at getting those 'at work' to take time out of their work day to go for a walk. I am reading about it in the April, 2009 issue of Better Homes and Gardens which I just received at work today. The article is on page 212 if you want to check it out yourself. Or, you can visit their website for more info:
BHG.com/startwalking

The article suggests that you invite co-workers to bring their walking shoes to work with them that day (and other days too) and gather a group to walk for 30 minutes over lunch. What a great idea! A better idea, IMO, is to have everyone and anyone who is interested bring a pair of walking shoes to work AND LEAVE THEM AT WORK so they can walk any day they want or are able.

In my office, we don't have a designated lunch period AND we seldom get to take time off together. Further, we walk a lot in the office and back and forth to the hospital which adjoins our office building. I try to take the stairs as much as possible. I figure that is a 'free' way to get in a bit more exercise. My office is on the fifth floor, so it's 4 flights up from the main floor on three. Up and down there several times a day keeps me feeling better.

Of course, I can't usually take a patient up and down the stairs!
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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.

DID ST PATRICK GET YOU?

Okay, I'm not a drinker. Don't much like being around drinkers. Don't like bars and HATE the smell of beer. Despite living in the center of the Beer Universe - Anheuser Busch-InBev - I won't touch the stuff. Don't throw rotten apples at me. I don't care if YOU drink.

But, I bet if you drink, St. Patrick got the better of you. I BET you didn't walk on the 17th and won't on the 18th because you'll be nursing your hangover or whatever. I guess the name of this blog might apply to you. You could just 'Walk It Off'!

On second thought, most of the readers of this blog are such sensible people that, weather and time allowing, you'll keep up your walking. I hope so.

So, support the Economic Stimulus Plan by buying new walking shoes rather than going to the neighborhood bar. And, for Pete's (or Pat's) sake, don't drink any green beer!




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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.