Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do ...
Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The pedometer is my friend!


This morning I got out for a walk ... the third one since I have started this blog 7 days ago. This is not the level of frequency I am aiming for, but I wasn't totally inactive during the weekend. After getting all the dogs out for a first walk of the morning, one of my favorite activities is taking Grimace for walk next - just him and me. He loves to walk. I have my cup of coffee and my iPod with my podcasts on it, and it is just Grimmy and Grandma time. Love it. But it doesn't really count as an exercise walk. We stop at every tree, every sign, every bush, every everything ... making sure that he sprinkles alittle of his urine EVERYWHERE. For a Pug, he has a bladder the size of a watermellon! But the walk time is quiet and peaceful. We both enjoy it.

I have been thinking about the barriers that seem to get in the way of getting out for a walk. I plan to go back to wearing a pedometer all the time, not just when I walk for exercise. I started wearing it today. In the past it has kept me moving, finding ways to keep my step numbers up. My exercise walks usually generate about 5,500 steps. Last year when I wore my pedometer all the time my goal was to be above 12,000 and I usually made that total. I have been as high at 18,000 but that is a stretch for me. There are studies of pedometer use - and in one study they put pedometers on an Amish population. These folks are active in their everyday lives - no motorized vehicles, no 20-21st century gizmos to distract them. It was found that they average 18,000 steps a day. Pretty impressive. While I don't hold that as a goal for me, it does provide a framework to gauge my own progress. After such a long absence, I am happy to have my pedometer back on my hip.

Today was also a Knitting Group day. I sure do enjoy this Tuesday group of knitters. It brightens my week knowing it is coming up. And this morning the weather was very comfortable. A blessing, because it has been hot and unhealthy for so very long.

Very much looking forward to my morning walk tomorrow.

2 comments:

happyone said...

I enjoyed the knitting group too. The other Corvette was NOT there today! Maybe next week.
I used to wear my pedometer all day but ended up being to obsessive about the steps I took. It is a great idea to get more walking in though.

Retired Knitter said...

I saw you drive away. Very cool looking car.