ME AND THE MAYO

The Mayo Clinic that is. The Mayo Clinic agrees with me that walking is 'natural'. All natural, in fact.

In case my previous attempts have not convinced you of the merits of walking, how it'll make you feel better and get you healthier, you can read it from the 'experts' at the Mayo in this article:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

Who knew I was in such impressive company?

You can be too. Just get moving. It's so easy.

If you're still on the fence, need motivation, or want to know how to get started, please go back and read some of my earlier blog articles. I've written extensively on how to get from 'here' to 'there' - how to get started, why you should get started, and how to measure your success.

We all have to start somewhere. Some of us will start from our recliners, having spent years being fatigued with a remote and a bowl of popcorn in our laps. Others will start after having had a health problem that requires aerobic exercise. Like me, others may start when they have had to give up some other form(s) of exercise or activity - my racquetball was a hard thing to quit. Read more about that in an earlier article.

No matter how you start, the FIRST STEP may well be the hardest. If you've been sedentary, you have to allow yourself time to build endurance and learn to enjoy this activity. I'm here to help you do that. It's my MISSION. Email me for personal help if you'd like. I'd be happy to give you daily encouragement.

You've got nothing to lose and much to gain by walking a few minutes or miles each day. This blog will show you how.


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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.

HOW'RE YOU DOING?

For those beginners out there - for those who have emailed me that this blog has motivated them to get walking - HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Did you start from zero minutes of walking - from the recliner or sofa, from the hospital bed or office desk? Did you start from a moderately sedentary lifestyle where you had difficulty walking for 15 minutes at a time. Did you decide to start walking despite the fact that you're on your feet all day at work?

Are you charting your progress? Are you increasing your walking time and/or distance?

If you began walking a couple weeks or months ago and kept at it - then you're a winner at this game! No matter where you start, if you have increased even one step, one minute, one bit of intensity or speed, then you're made great progress and you can be an inspiration to others.

I'd love to know where you started and where you are now. False starts, stutters, are not unusual. In fact, I believe they are common. The winners are those who put one foot in front of the other one tiny bit more today than they did yesterday. Tiny steps add up. Baby steps become confident strides.

There are no losers among walkers! No kidding. I'm not just buttering you up. THIS IS REAL. I know whereof I write. I felt up against a wall when I began walking. I couldn't do what I wanted to - racquetball - anymore. My knees were shot. My weight was far too high. My endurance was limited. My heat tolerance was negligible.

After a few weeks of dogged persistence - with the help of an actual dog - I began to feel the tiniest positive benefits of walking. I was going thru a rough emotional time and I discovered that walking made me feel better. IT MADE ME FEEL BETTER. It didn't always make my body feel better, but it definitely made my head and heart feel better.

I've written before and I will again that if I can do this, you can do it. I DID NOT WANT TO WALK. I wanted a quick fix. I wanted the 'high' of playing racquetball. But, I looked around and saw that others in my life enjoyed walking so I decided to give it a try.

Thru the bleak, bleary winter days of that year, I walked in all kinds of weather with my dog at my side. She was getting old and sick, but she loved going with me. We both got better. When I saw how eager she was to walk, how much she enjoyed her walk, how she depended on me to give her that enjoyment, it just made it all worth while for me.

Soon I began walking with a friend. I'm sure she had to slow her pace for my beginner pace, but she's a true friend and never complained. We walked and talked and solved many of the world's problems. It wasn't long, REALLY, before I began to look forward to my walks with Sally or my mom. Walk and Talk buddies was born. It has grown - in and around me - for these 10 years.

Weigh was lost and a positive lifestyle was found. Don't give up if it's not easy at the beginning. Give it 6 weeks. Give it 10 minutes a day at the beginning. Give it a chance. Give yourself a chance to make your life better. It's simple but not necessarily easy. But, don't give up before you begin to feel the wonderful benefits that I promise. And, remember my guarantee that is at the end of every article.


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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.

WALK OF FAME

In St. Louis, we have an exciting night life area called The Loop. This urban oasis is very near the area where I grew up. I used to ride my bike the couple miles to The Loop to the movie theaters there. In Junior High (what we called Middle School back in the Dark Ages), I rode there 6 times to see West Side Story!

Thanks to the ambition and vision of a single individual, Joe Edwards, The Loop has been revitalized from a crumbling, aging 'Dead Zone' to the exciting people-magnet that it now is. There are plenty of ethnic restaurants, great bars, two concert venues, retro shops, and other shops that tend to attract a very eclectic crowd, especially on weekends. Its location near Washington University in St. Louis adds to the appeal of The Loop. Students from all over the world show up in throngs every night to enjoy a taste of food from home, to visit, and people-watch.

One of the things Joe Edwards brought to this area was the St. Louis Walk of Fame. We have our very own version of Hollywood's Stars in the sidewalk. If a person of note is associated with St. Louis, he or she may well have - or will one day receive - a star on the Walk of Fame.

This is a great place for a pleasant stroll on a sunny afternoon. Grab a buddy and your fanny pack, tie on your walking shoes, and head for The Loop. There is plenty of parking nearby and a Metro stop within walking distance. The Loop itself occupies about a half mile of territory in the St. Louis suburb of University City about 8 miles west of the St. Louis Arch.

Walking up and down this stretch of Delmar Blvd will take you within smelling distance of restaurants emitting the delicious scents of Ethiopia, Japan, China, Russia, and Thailand. If you have a taste for burgers or pizza, Blueberry Hill with its famous Duck Room and Cicero's will satisfy your taste buds. If it's brew you want on a hot afternoon, Brandt's and Fitz's offer a wide variety of soft drinks, beers, and wines with sandwiches and cheeses to accompany it.

Vintage Vinyl offers a vast array of actual 33 RPM records from all periods of music plus posters and tee shirts. There are vintage clothing shops and several shops devoted to skaters and musicians. But, don't forget to look down and read the stars on the Walk of Fame. You'll learn a bit of local history while getting in your walk.

Before your walk, you might want to research the luminaries who have stars here. If so, go to
http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/
to see who makes the cut.


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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.

MINI ME PERSONAL TRAINER

I'm not endorsing this, but I just read about it in Time Magazine and wanted to share. Electronic Personal Trainers (EPT - no, not the home pregnancy test - puhleez). Remember when I wrote about the Playaway and other ways to pump up your regime? Well, this might be a good addition to the game for the walking techy out there. )f course, a techy probably already knows about it...

Here's a link to an article explaining more about how it works.

http://www.acrocat.com/PDAbs/

Apparently the Wii also has this component availabe for purchase.

This device is not designed just for walkers. It's more for the exercise gym type work out. But, I believe it might have value for some of us in that we can input our goals, speeds, variations - like walking fast for 2 minutes then slowing down with the timing for that, warm up and cool downs. It'll whisper that stuff into our ears or display it on a tiny screen.

What will they think of next? Personally, I prefer to keep things as low-tech as possible. But, there are those among us who would enjoy using such a device and many more who would likely benefit from it.



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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.

WIN A DVD - ENTER IN MARCH, 2009

Wanna learn to knit or crochet? I'm giving away a new DVD 'The Art of Knitting and Crochet' in a contest on my other blog in honor of National Crafts Month. For details, go to
http://crochet.craftgossip.com

When I'm not walking, eating, working, or sleeping, I'm usually crocheting! Can't walk and crochet at the same time, but plenty can. Learn how with this nifty DVD - a $19.99 value.




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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.

CAN YOU SAY HELLO??

Until 2004, I lived in a very upscale community where every house had its own acre and we were one of the few families in the area who had kids. That's where I began my walking in earnest. It was winter so I met few other walkers. Me and my dog were happy on our own.

Spring came. Others began walking on the streets (we had no sidewalks) and gardening. Well, actually most of the gardening was done by hired help. Most of my neighbors were retired folks. I greet everyone I encounter when walking. NO ONE GREETED ME BACK except those nice Mexicans who were doing the gardening. Every one of them greeted me, turned off their mowers or whatever while I walked by, and smiled as tho' they were happy to see me. Not so for the residents of the neighborhood.

I tried to think of reasons for this. I figured they might all be hard of hearing - the old folks - so I began to add a wave with my hello. Simple sign language. Universal. Still no response.

First I was angry. Then resigned. I had grown up in an upscale neighborhood which wasn't terribly friendly, but I knew everyone since I was a kid and usually annoying them. I also spent my summers in rural Northwestern Arkansas where you waved to EVERYONE you encountered while driving - whether you'd ever seen them before or not - and stopped to chat with those you encountered while walking. Since we kids walked everywhere in those days, we did a lot of chatting.

I determined that I was not going to let these sourpusses ruin my day. I would continue to greet them, smile, and wave. If they decided that no response was required, well, that was their problem.

Now, I live (by choice) in a more solidly middle class neighborhood. No acre lots. No gardeners. Well, we and a few others have people who mow our lawns, but that's about it. And, guess what, MOST people acknowledge my existence when they see me! I've made a few friends at the track near my home. In fact, my mom, who used to live in the house I now occupy, made three very close friends while walking at that track. Even after she was forced to move to an apartment because of her failing vision, these friends still visit her. They're my friends, too, but I've made some of my own. I love to linger by the playground to watch the toddlers on the merry go round. I enjoy watching the school age kids practice on the field inside the track - soccer, baseball, and even cricket.

Very few people I've encountered around here have failed to return my greeting. Some even beat me to the punch! I'm happy about that. Being friendly never hurt anyone!!!



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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.

GREAT RIVER ROAD

http://www.greatriverroad-illinois.org/

The Great River Road is a destination for walkers, bikers, and 'Sunday Drivers' in the St. Louis area. While the Road is entirely within Illinois, it's just across the Missouri River from St. Louis County, giving easy access to Missourians. There is the fairly new, stunning Clark Bridge which was constructed after the 1993 floods which devastated this area. The crossing from Missouri to Illinois is just above the Confluence of three rivers - Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois. The area pictured above is on the Missouri River but is locally referred to as Alton Lake. It's a popular boating area, just north of the Lock and Dam at Alton, Illinios. Also located near the Lock and Dam is a casino (Boat in a Moat) and a huge grain elevator that loads the numerous barges that transport Illinois corn and wheat up and down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. There's also a wonderful ferry, the Golden Eagle, which offers a scenic way to cross the Missouri north of the Lock and Dam.

Sadly, in this picture, you can't see the paved trail which is to the left under the tree overhang. It's a popular and busy site on Spring, Summer, and Fall weekends.

From the river town of Alton, Illinois - an old, river town with hilly, cobbled streets and great antique shops and restaurants (and that Casino) - the Great River Road runs parallel to the Missouri River north to the town of Grafton, Illinois. Paralleling the Road is a wide, paved path for walkers and bikers. Bike rentals are available at both 'ends' of the Road. It's quite a trek, but lovely and scenic any time of year. This area of the river actually freezes over in Winter, holding the barges at the Lock and Dam til the Spring thaw renews river traffic.

Grafton is a rustic gem itself. It's major purpose for existing is for the bikers and walkers who make the trip along the river in all kinds of weather. This lovely little town hosts antique stores, craft shops, restaurants, and bait shops. The cliffs above the river are dotted with elegant mansions having great vistas of the river and the small, lush islands in the area.

North of Grafton is Raging Rivers, a water park, and Pere Marquette State Park. The Park hosts a great lodge with a huge roaring fireplace, renovated hotel rooms and cabins, an indoor pool and sauna, a family style restaurant with a reknowned Sunday brunch, and a life-size chess board. The lodge is a destination for many families on Sundays year round.

Past the river bluffs are great apple orchards where you can pick your own baskets of ripe apples, buy some from roadside stands, or pick up homemade pies and jams. The area also contains some of the most beautiful wooded scenery anywhere.

If you take this trek, look for the mythical Piasa Bird (pronounced Pie -a - saw) on a cliff facing the river. Stop to read the legend of the Piasa Bird and to see the high water marks from the 1993 floods. The Confluence area which is normally about 1 mile across grew to 7 miles across during the vast flooding of 1993. You'll still see an occasional hint of the flood - a toy stuck in the top of a huge tree or a gutted building. Most evidence of the flooding is now gone, but those of us who lived here remember it quite well.

To understand how much water there was and how vast the flooding was, drive to the base of the St. Louis arch and look up to the top. The Arch is on the banks of the Mississippi. During the flooding of 1993 when the flood gates at the Arch were closed, one could watch barges floating down the river at the same height as the Arch - about 43 feet above street level and only 1 foot below the top of the flood gate! Cool but scary!!

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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.