NO NAME CHANGE

A friend who reads my blog suggested I change the name of the blog to 'Your Walking Coach' or something similar. Flattering, but, alas the 'Walking Coach' title has been taken. I guess I'll stick with the current title.

I've been walking a lot these past few days. The bright, crisp, clear Fall air is very tempting now that my seasonal asthma attack has passed. It's really hard to stay in the house or in the office when I look outside and see the sun shining and clear skies, knowing the temperature is perfect for a long walk!

All around me, people are happy to see the hot, muggy days of Summer leave. Not me! Even on those hottest of days, I'm happy walking outside. Admittedly, this is not a good thing for my appearance! After only a brief walk on a muggy Summer day, I look like a dog who has been dunked in the river! It takes some time to rearrange my hair and clothing to something suitable for the office or the presence of other humans. The dog doesn't seem to mind. LOL. In fact, it was the dog who held me back this summer. Now that she's seven years old - pushing 40 in the vet's terminology - she can't walk in the heat wearing her full length black fur coat. We were limited to two miles a day unless we walked early morning.

Do you know me? There'll be no early morning walks! Early morning is good for only one thing - and that's SLEEP. My body clock just will not cooperate - no matter how happy my husband is to be up and bouncing at 5:30 AM.

So, late mornings or about 4 PM is when I typically walk. My wimpy friends who insist on mall walking (okay, me sometimes) push the walk time to 6PM or 7PM. Since I'm a night owl that's not a problem for me.

The point is - be flexible, but keep moving. Find a time that works in your life - doesn't have to be the same time every day. If you work full time and can't fit a walk in any other time, consider taking at least half of your lunch time for a walk. If you are a SAHM, don't put everything else in front of your walk. Make it a priority so that you do it. Put it on your list.

If you're just establishing a walking routine, take it slow but keep it steady if you can. Don't do so much that you get overly fatigued or sore - but DO keep walking. Remember, no matter what shape you're in, your body is designed to walk. A good pair of shoes and a positive attitude are your best assets for establishing a walking routine and realizing the benefits of it.

My 89 year old mom who was my first inspiration for walking, recently admitted to me that she actually has a guilty conscience if she doesn't walk every day! She has outlived most of her friends ( a mixed blessing, of course) but the key is that other than her vision, she's in excellent health. She is one of the reasons that I developed this need to walk. Not only do I want to age in a healthy manner, I want the mental and emotional benefits I get from walking. It FEELS good.

Don't just take my word for it. Try it out. Work up to 20-30 minutes a day and learn for yourself the positive changes that will occur in your life. Then tell us about it here!



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

MORE DANCIN'

Last evening, a friend and I checked out a dance group that was new to me. Laurie, my friend, took up tapdancing in her adulthood since she had been deprived of them as a kid. But, alas, the studio where she had danced for years went under. Now, Laurie walks and kick boxes and does Zumba. I'm responsible for introducing her to Zumba, and in so doing, lost my regular Tuesday walking partner!!

Now, she's taking a break from Zumba, so I got her to try linedancing with me. So, off we went to a 'new' place. It's in a library and the room has a carpeted floor. Bummer! I was so disappointed.......

Until we started to dance. The teacher, probably at least my age, is very spry and energetic and enthusiastic! Turned out, I knew several of the beginner dances. I was really getting into the groove. There were probably 40 people there, mostly women, mostly African-American. So many people came up to me to let me know they enjoyed my enthusiasm!

How sweet is that?! I'm not any good at it. I kinda remember the steps to a bunch of beginner dances. But, I AM enthusiastic. My motto is Dance Like Nobody Is Watching!

Several of my fellow dancers from Thursday evening were also at this dance. Now, I'm hooked! I think Laurie is too. So, I've got another evening that my poor, sweet husband will have to nuke his dinner for himself.



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

KNOCK DOWN

I've been sick since Saturday with a severe case of seasonal asthma. It it's September in St Louis, I will have an asthma attack. This one has been worse than usual.

This past weekend, I had signed up for a dance workshop. Friday evening and all day Saturday. All day means from 9 AM til midnight with breaks for lunch and dinner. I couldn't pass this up although I was getting sick. So, I danced happily Friday night and went home about 10:00, early for me.

Saturday, I arrived at 10:00 for my first class and danced all day til 3:00 when I went home and took a nap. Then, I dragged myself back for the evening session where we get to perform all the dances we've learned and learn a few more very casually. Again, I left about 10:00. I was beat, hoarse, and clearly in need of medication.

Sunday, I took it easy but Monday was back to work - with no voice. I crept out early (one perk of being married to the boss) and remained horizontal the rest of the day. Cough, cough, cough. Wheeze, hack, gasp - Crap! This is not fun.

Tuesday is my mom's book club and she had promised a cake for her birthday (89 on 9/14!!!), so I bought a cake, drove her there, took myself to the mall and strolled for about 40 minutes. Just strolled. Window shopped. But, better than just sitting someplace feeling miserable.

Today, despite medication and rain (which clears the air of allergens), I'm still ailing. So, no walking today. No dancing. A 4 hour work day which was almost too much. Sofa and TV. I'm VERY TIRED of TV.

Anyway, the lesson here is that the stroll made thing better. Wish I could have done that today.



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

SISTERS DO SWEAT!

I just got home from my weekly linedance class (or sliding as this group calls it) at the Memorial Methodist Church. Most of the women (and the few men) in the class are African-American of all ages - from women who look to be in their late twenties to us white hairs and grandpas. We have a blast! Chel teaches this group. She has a way of breaking down what initially look like daunting dances into 'bite-sized' piece that everyone picks up pretty quickly.

I dance with other groups too. I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming dance weekend at Studio 41 from September 9-11, 2011. The dances at Studio 41 are typically more traditional, incorporating the venerable country and western to the more recent song stylings of Adele. As an old song goes, 'You can't dance and be uptight.' That is so true.

I was pleased to see an article written in a local newspaper by the husband of one of our best Sliders, Peachaz Clark. Her husband, James Clark, is a regular columnist for the St. Louis Metro Evening Whirl and Vice President of Community Outreach for Better Family Life. But, he is NOT a linedancer. His article relates how he humored his wife by attending a local event packed with sliders. And, apparently, he was impressed with the participants and their willingness to sweat to the grooves.

Mr. Clark also writes in this article about the recent enormous popularity of Kick-Ball. That was news to me! I might have to find a team willing to accept my old, decrepit body! Clark indicates that there are over 80 teams in the St. Louis Metropolitan area alone and that the participants are very enthusiastic, training even at 7 Am in the dead of winter! This is devotion and they MUST be impressively good.

Mr. Clark's article spoke to some issues that I hear from many women. It takes such a short time to get all sweaty and a long time to 'repair the damage' so we can be presentable for work and other activities. Have you seen Oprah's show on Hair? I thought I was the only one who couldn't just walk off the dance floor and into work clothing without a long detour through the shower and blow dryer and curling iron routine! I'm White (as is my hair). This is not an area where my Black friends have the market cornered. It's a hassle for ALL of us!

That said, we must all find a way to make our hair and body routines compatible with an exercise regimen. For me, this involves getting a fairly expensive perm every 6-8 weeks so I can have 'wash and wear hair'. We must strike a balance so that we don't find too many excuses to remain on the sofa, glued to the TV, watching others shake their booties.

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

BIG HEAD?

One of the things that makes us humans, that separates us from lower animals, that is distinctive and unique in this universe, is the way we are able to hold our heads steady while we are walking!

Did you ever think about that? I never had til I read a recent article about a guy who is researching the human foot and how our feet differ from those of other mammals. In his research, he discovered that along with the development of a unique foot, humans developed a unique system of neck 'stabilizers' that allows us to see the world through a stable lens rather than a jumpy camera while we are walking and running.

This makes total sense, but I don't think it's something that even enters our minds on a conscious level. Well, at least not mine. What an advantage we have over most other life forms on this planet! Horses heads move up and down while they run. Pigs and dogs have heads that sort of wobble left and right with each stride. Even elephants and camels have loopy head movements when they walk.

We're unique! Apparently, from an evolutionary standpoint (if you buy that or by Grand Design if you don't), the stability of our heads gives us a wide range of advantages over other life forms. We can turn our heads while walking and running if we want. The stabilizers give us a steady visual picture of our world. Our ears remain oriented in a manner that's most advantageous for us.

This researcher also explains that hip, back, and neck problems that many relate to defects of our erect spinal cord are NOT due to our erect stature. They are due to downstream problems of our gait, based on our feet, if they are not properly aligned due to a congenital problem or because we either wear the wrong footwear or we don't exercise enough.

I have long known that back problems are often related to weak abdominal muscles. The abs keep our posture erect to protect all those vertebrae. Walking strengthens abs and back muscles, not to mention glutes and all the muscles of our legs. You should see the muscles in my legs! While I was born with a template for shapely (and possibly muscular) legs, I have certainly developed those muscles through walking. Best way ever to lose fat in the thighs and derriere. Refer to my earlier posts about me walking my #$%$% off!

So, if you needed one, here's another strong piece of evidence that our bodies are designed - beautifully, wonderfully, miraculously designed - to WALK.





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

TAKE A STROLL

Briefly, in a recent edition of the New York Times Science Section, there's an article stating that taking even a short stroll every day will prolong your healthy life and ward off the advent of Type II Diabetes (Adult Onset Diabetes) which is occurring in epidemic proportions among Americans today.

Just a stroll. Wow! That's not even hard to do. How committed do you have to be to take a stroll. Try to walk for 5-10 minutes after you eat your lunch. Walk a bit on your morning break. Park farther from the store entrance every day (except in heavy rain, ok) so you get in a few more steps. Walk the dog. Walk your neighbor's dog (no one will complain, least of all the dog.) Walk your neighbor's toddler in a stroller.

Just walk. The statistics are stunning. This simple form of daily exercise, hidden amid your daily routine, can really pay off.

It doesn't matter so much if I live to be a hundred. I want to live to be a HEALTHY hundred - or whatever age.


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

THE MONARCH LEVEE

In western St. Louis County, almost to St. Charles County, is the Monarch Levee protecting Chesterfield Valley (formerly known as Gumbo Flats) from the wrath of the Missouri River. I've written a bit about this trail before. Here's a picture of one of the Rest Areas along the route.

Having recently walked the nice trail along the Meramec River in Valley Park, MO, I'm less pleased with the Monarch Trail. Why? The Meramec River trail is far less buggy. The Missouri River at this point has back waters and marshes that are great breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other annoying noseeums. The Monarch trail is also the highest point in the area, allowing cold winds to hit you off the river. This same problem occurs at Creve Coeur Lake even tho' the trail is not on a levee. There is little shade along the Monarch. Most of the Meramec trail is shaded. Highway noise is a bit of an issue for both trails, but since the Monarch parallels I-64/40 for much of its length, it's a bit more annoying there.

Both trails are level and paved. Both meander through potentially lovely scenery, but the Monarch has one side pretty much devoted to baseball diamonds and retail outlets. There is none of that along the Meramec trail.

I have not walked the full 17 miles of the Monarch trail. I know it does go to the property those of us who grew up in St. Louis will recall fondly as the Rombach Pumpkin Farm (which I believe is still in business). We and our children have carefully selected just the right pumpkin each Fall on this property, all of which was inundated by the 1993 floods. I do want to walk the stretch of the Monarch that goes by the Rombach Family Cemetary. I'll get to that this FAll, I'm sure.

The Meramec trail also has the benefit of being much closer to my home. It's a 20 minute or longer trip to the Monarch trail if there's no traffic.

Both trails have their good points and I'm grateful that such greenways are becoming more prevalent in the St. Louis area. Having new trails to investigate keeps me walking more.






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