I found a pedometer with a readout large enough for me to see without my glasses! So, I ordered it and when it arrived my husband took his life into his hands and liberated the pedometer from it's almost impregnable plastic packaging. He set if for me - a mere finger punch - and I clipped it on my waistband.
That was at 3:00 PM. I had a walking date scheduled for 3:30, so off I flew, driving to the mall. Our usual walk is about 45 minutes - not quite 3 miles. After we had made our normal circuits of the mall, navigating our way around stragglers, strollers, and shoppers (why are THEY at the mall??), I checked my mileage (actually steps). It read 6579!
I headed home and went about the rest of the days activities. About 8:30, I thought to check the pedometer. It had cylced past the 10,000 mark and read 00079! Wow! I still had a couple hours to go, but I clipped it to my purse strap so I could find it the next day (and not wash it with those pants!).
So, if I can do it, so can you. I'm so pleased that 10,000 steps doesn't feel much harder than 6,000 steps. That might be different on a different day, but I was thrilled!
***************************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.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
NEED ORGANIZATION?
Need organization? I do! As my friends and family can tell you, I'm a genetically disorganized person. I know I'd have more time to do the better things in life (like walking more) if I was just more organized and didn't have to spend extra minutes and sometimes hours trying to find things I know I own.
If you're like me, you'll want to check out this blog - and enter the contest there.
Would love to win the book they're doing the Giveaway for!
***************************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.
If you're like me, you'll want to check out this blog - and enter the contest there.
Would love to win the book they're doing the Giveaway for!
***************************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.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Each One Teach One
It's still January - the start of a new year and the end of the month when most of us have abandoned any resolutions we have made.
Now, consider making a resolution for the rest of this year. If you are a walker - get someone else who is not a walker up and moving. Make it your business to cajole, prod, but mostly encourage a friend or family member to take his/her first steps toward better health and a better mental attitude.
Even if you've only been at this for a few weeks yourself, you can still be the vehicle for change. Your activities will model the best way for others to follow you on the trail to better health.
Even if it's something as simple as parking at the FARTHEST spot at the grocery store, it's a move in the right direction. Even if you only succeed in getting another person to walk for 5 minutes a day, you've helped them a great deal - and help yourself in the process.
What you do for others, you do for yourself. Each One Teach One. You be the teacher.
***************************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.
Now, consider making a resolution for the rest of this year. If you are a walker - get someone else who is not a walker up and moving. Make it your business to cajole, prod, but mostly encourage a friend or family member to take his/her first steps toward better health and a better mental attitude.
Even if you've only been at this for a few weeks yourself, you can still be the vehicle for change. Your activities will model the best way for others to follow you on the trail to better health.
Even if it's something as simple as parking at the FARTHEST spot at the grocery store, it's a move in the right direction. Even if you only succeed in getting another person to walk for 5 minutes a day, you've helped them a great deal - and help yourself in the process.
What you do for others, you do for yourself. Each One Teach One. You be the teacher.
***************************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.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
While I Was Walking ...
While I was walking at a nearby high school today, I was struck by the amount of litter on the grounds. This is an upper middle class community. The school district is AAA rated. The grounds not so much. I'd give them a D- .
Why, I wondered does it cost a gazillion dollars a year to support these huge high schools and another gazillion to maintain the grounds? Why is keeping their school looking clean and tidy not a priority for the students and their families? Why do we pay others (an entire grounds crew) to maintain the grounds when every class in high school has a required service project? Why is the school not its own service project?
What, you are asking about now, does this have to do with walking? Well, the kids do precious little physical activity during a school day. In many areas, there is no longer a P.E. class and some schools don't even allow outdoor recess. What do they think all that sitting around is doing to our kids?
First, the kids get on a school bus or are driven to school. Only a tiny percent walk to school every day. Then, other than walking a few yards between classrooms, they sit all day long. When they get home, the sit doing (we hope) homework for a bit - the it's off to sit in front of the TV or computer. Sit, Sit, Sit.
What you get from growing kids that sit most of the day is:
Boredom
ADD/ADHD - or something that looks remarkably like that
Depression
Anxiety
Obesity
Substance Abuse
Mischief
What results from getting kids to move for 20-40 minutes every day (ok, the schools only have them 5 days a week) is the release of endorphins in the brain - actual changes in brain chemistry - that result in a sense of wellness. You also get less obesity and mischief, better behavior in the classroom, and far less depression/anxiety/substance abuse.
Don't take my word for it. Read a bit. Research this on your own. Find out what moving your own body for 20-40 minutes a day does for you. Does it do ANYTHING negative??? Nope!
If it must be an activity that is institutionalized by the schools, so be it. Make it a service project to move for 20-40 minutes a day. Walk the grounds, pick up litter, plant flowers, sweep walks, shovel snow, spread sand and salt, paint stripes on the football field. Do whatever light physical labor needs to be done at the schools. Take pride in it. Own it!
There is no downside to this! It will benefit the community and each individual student in every one of our schools, from PreK to 12th grade.
***************************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.
Why, I wondered does it cost a gazillion dollars a year to support these huge high schools and another gazillion to maintain the grounds? Why is keeping their school looking clean and tidy not a priority for the students and their families? Why do we pay others (an entire grounds crew) to maintain the grounds when every class in high school has a required service project? Why is the school not its own service project?
What, you are asking about now, does this have to do with walking? Well, the kids do precious little physical activity during a school day. In many areas, there is no longer a P.E. class and some schools don't even allow outdoor recess. What do they think all that sitting around is doing to our kids?
First, the kids get on a school bus or are driven to school. Only a tiny percent walk to school every day. Then, other than walking a few yards between classrooms, they sit all day long. When they get home, the sit doing (we hope) homework for a bit - the it's off to sit in front of the TV or computer. Sit, Sit, Sit.
What you get from growing kids that sit most of the day is:
Boredom
ADD/ADHD - or something that looks remarkably like that
Depression
Anxiety
Obesity
Substance Abuse
Mischief
What results from getting kids to move for 20-40 minutes every day (ok, the schools only have them 5 days a week) is the release of endorphins in the brain - actual changes in brain chemistry - that result in a sense of wellness. You also get less obesity and mischief, better behavior in the classroom, and far less depression/anxiety/substance abuse.
Don't take my word for it. Read a bit. Research this on your own. Find out what moving your own body for 20-40 minutes a day does for you. Does it do ANYTHING negative??? Nope!
If it must be an activity that is institutionalized by the schools, so be it. Make it a service project to move for 20-40 minutes a day. Walk the grounds, pick up litter, plant flowers, sweep walks, shovel snow, spread sand and salt, paint stripes on the football field. Do whatever light physical labor needs to be done at the schools. Take pride in it. Own it!
There is no downside to this! It will benefit the community and each individual student in every one of our schools, from PreK to 12th grade.
***************************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.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Lemon Aid
You know the saying, when life gives you lemons you make lemonade.
Sometimes you need Lemon Aid.
I had a bad two weeks recently. Mom was sick. I wasn't feeling chipper. Work was difficult. January is a bad month for income in my husband's business. I was unmotivated. I had a couple of 'command performances'.
You know about command performances, don't you. Those family or social events that you simply MUST attend for fear of suffering dire consequences. The consequences might fall in the category of making your family angry if you do (or don't) do whatever. The consequences might be that you'll make a friend angry or disappoint someone - or your boss.
So, you suck it up and just do it.
Then, you have to live with the consequences in your own head. The 'Itty Bitty Shitty Committee' begins its banging, living rent free in your head while rearranging the furniture. Not fun, to say the least. And, it goes on as long as you let it. Just that long and no longer,
How to evict the Committee? Walk it off! Dance it away! Work it out - at the gym or on the basketball court. Move yourself and the Committee moves on.
Really! It works! I promise.
We will all have command performances - many times in our lives. We can either live with the consequences we impose on ourselves - or we can choose to turn those sour lemons into sweet lemonade. Lemon Aid.
***************************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.
Sometimes you need Lemon Aid.
I had a bad two weeks recently. Mom was sick. I wasn't feeling chipper. Work was difficult. January is a bad month for income in my husband's business. I was unmotivated. I had a couple of 'command performances'.
You know about command performances, don't you. Those family or social events that you simply MUST attend for fear of suffering dire consequences. The consequences might fall in the category of making your family angry if you do (or don't) do whatever. The consequences might be that you'll make a friend angry or disappoint someone - or your boss.
So, you suck it up and just do it.
Then, you have to live with the consequences in your own head. The 'Itty Bitty Shitty Committee' begins its banging, living rent free in your head while rearranging the furniture. Not fun, to say the least. And, it goes on as long as you let it. Just that long and no longer,
How to evict the Committee? Walk it off! Dance it away! Work it out - at the gym or on the basketball court. Move yourself and the Committee moves on.
Really! It works! I promise.
We will all have command performances - many times in our lives. We can either live with the consequences we impose on ourselves - or we can choose to turn those sour lemons into sweet lemonade. Lemon Aid.
***************************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.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Weather Or Not.....
I'm fortunate to have a few walking friends who are of a like mind when it comes to making walking a priority despite the weather conditions.
Today, I was fortunate to leave work pretty early. Had a couple important stops to make ont he way home, including the bank and Whole Foods to pick up some of my husband's favorite crackers. When I left Whole Foods, the sun had peeped out from behind the persistent cloud cover. I was so tempted to run home, leash the dog, and hit the trail.
But....I had plans to walk with KE and she was still at work. I texted her to be sure she was going to be able to walk after work - OR ELSE. So, instead of giving in to my baser instincts, I waited for KE and we walked about 6 PM at a track between our homes.
Here's the bottom line that I told KE this evening. I'm a walking 'slut'. I walk no matter what! If the weather is great now but is predicted to turn nasty in 3 hours, I'll ditch her like yesterday's laundry and walk right then!
Fortunately, she laughed! She understands - and approves. That's the kind of support we need to give each other on this walking journey. I know I sometimes nag my friends, calling them week after week to entice them to walk when I get the chance. They're good walking buddies. They understand, sometimes dropping what they're in the middle of to take advantage of a brief window of opportunity to get all hot and sweaty.
Tomorrow's weather is predicted to turn nasty at evening rush hour when I'm supposed to be on the drive to dance. I'll be cursing the whole way there - and may arrive there only to find the teacher (with her boombox and appropriate music) has cancelled. I'll curse her too! But in a nice way - cuz she's a good teacher and loves to dance and I know she'd be there if she could.
So, don't use bad weather as an excuse to slump on the sofa. If you can't get to dance, or the gym, or to the mall, march in place right in front of the television. Get all hot and sweaty by yourself. You'll feel so much better.
***************************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.
Today, I was fortunate to leave work pretty early. Had a couple important stops to make ont he way home, including the bank and Whole Foods to pick up some of my husband's favorite crackers. When I left Whole Foods, the sun had peeped out from behind the persistent cloud cover. I was so tempted to run home, leash the dog, and hit the trail.
But....I had plans to walk with KE and she was still at work. I texted her to be sure she was going to be able to walk after work - OR ELSE. So, instead of giving in to my baser instincts, I waited for KE and we walked about 6 PM at a track between our homes.
Here's the bottom line that I told KE this evening. I'm a walking 'slut'. I walk no matter what! If the weather is great now but is predicted to turn nasty in 3 hours, I'll ditch her like yesterday's laundry and walk right then!
Fortunately, she laughed! She understands - and approves. That's the kind of support we need to give each other on this walking journey. I know I sometimes nag my friends, calling them week after week to entice them to walk when I get the chance. They're good walking buddies. They understand, sometimes dropping what they're in the middle of to take advantage of a brief window of opportunity to get all hot and sweaty.
Tomorrow's weather is predicted to turn nasty at evening rush hour when I'm supposed to be on the drive to dance. I'll be cursing the whole way there - and may arrive there only to find the teacher (with her boombox and appropriate music) has cancelled. I'll curse her too! But in a nice way - cuz she's a good teacher and loves to dance and I know she'd be there if she could.
So, don't use bad weather as an excuse to slump on the sofa. If you can't get to dance, or the gym, or to the mall, march in place right in front of the television. Get all hot and sweaty by yourself. You'll feel so much better.
***************************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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Legs and Things
Right now, my legs hurt. I danced for two solid hours last night, didn't get more than three hours of sleep last night, worked most of the day, then went for a two mile walk. I'm aching!
But, it was worth it! I'm IN LOVE with linedancing! I'm not any good at it - but getting better. Fortunately there are none of those full length mirrors like you find at a lot of dance studios since we dance in church basements and a library meeting room.
I think I'd probably be less enamored of linedancing if I had to watch myself do it! I'm not shy and do not suffer from stage fright or any performance fear. I'm pretty brazen. But, I am definitely NOT GRACEFUL!
Fortunately, if anyone cares that I'm not graceful, they are kind enough not to share their feelings with me. Remember, their opinion of me is none of my business!
Things work out much better for me when I remember that!
So, aching or not, I'll continue to walk and dance. Join me!
***************************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.
But, it was worth it! I'm IN LOVE with linedancing! I'm not any good at it - but getting better. Fortunately there are none of those full length mirrors like you find at a lot of dance studios since we dance in church basements and a library meeting room.
I think I'd probably be less enamored of linedancing if I had to watch myself do it! I'm not shy and do not suffer from stage fright or any performance fear. I'm pretty brazen. But, I am definitely NOT GRACEFUL!
Fortunately, if anyone cares that I'm not graceful, they are kind enough not to share their feelings with me. Remember, their opinion of me is none of my business!
Things work out much better for me when I remember that!
So, aching or not, I'll continue to walk and dance. Join me!
***************************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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
