Walking can give you surprising health benefits. In fact, this is how I originally lost a ton of weight. This post contains a few walking logs to help you add more spontaneity to your training. The logs are old yet timeless.
Notice my thought process and how I justified going for a walk. The psychology of exercising was just as important as actually exercising.
Table of Contents
Take a Spritzy Stroll
8/2/09
Chalk another satisfying walk in the books.
I decided I was stagnant enough for this weekend. About 2 hours ago I called my buddy and asked if he would like to go for a walk with me. As I mentioned before, he is on the opposite end of the country. Luckily, we both have cell phones and Bluetooth headsets.
Hurray for technology!
By the time we both set forth our walk, it was starting to get dark – and fast. It’s been a while since I walked this late at night so I didn’t mind. Once we got started we discussed many things, including the weather.
It started to rain where he was located and he mentioned how some people were looking at him funny. After all, what kind of crazy person willfully walks in the rain? I mentioned how fun it must be to walk in the rain. “Oh yes,” he said. “The combination of the rain and temperature feels nice!”
Not even 5 minutes had passed before it started to rain where I was at. I let him know about the commenced showers and we cheerfully discussed various points, as the rain gently swept away the worries of the world, along with the rest of the water, down the road and to the drains.
I stayed close to my house, in case the rain drastically picked up. We both ended up walking for 1 hour, which was about 3 miles.
It’s great to get out in the rain every once in a while. Try it and enjoy yourself immensely. No, you won’t get pneumonia… or catch a cold. You certainly won’t melt, unless, you’re a witch. I certainly turned out fine.
If you are fearful of catching a cold then walk for a shorter amount of time and gradually build up.
Have fun and be safe!
Candid Sync Walk
7/5/09
I had plans to play an online PC game with a friend from college this evening. Before we got started, we fired up the voice chat and began the conversation. He then decided he wants to go for a walk.
I thought it was funny he wanted to go on a walk at the last minute, but I decided that I would go too. Since he lives 1100 miles away we can’t walk together. So we did the next best thing; we took our fully charged cell phones and Bluetooth headsets along for the walk to continue our conversation.
Humorously enough, about 55.875% of our conversation was about politics and current events. It’s not terribly something I enjoy talking about all the time but it’s nice to speak your mind every once and a while.
We talked through other subject matter and before I knew it, I was finished with my normal walk. I decided to go a little further today to reach roughly 3 miles.
Of course, I followed the walk with some stretching. I haven’t gone over the top in the first week of my program. Nevertheless, I’m making progress. I most certainly feel better. I’m 100% positive I’d be getting better results if I amped up the walking at least every other day, if not daily.
I have some other muscle loosening methods I will try this coming week. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Pop Walk Wrap Up
7/4/09
Today is a beautiful day. It wasn’t quite dark yet when I began my walk. It was when the sun was still peeking out and the temperature was tolerable. I’d expect nothing less for a firework-filled festivity.
As cool as it would be to tell you I launched fireworks while walking, I did not. I just simply observed the satisfying explosions of the incendiaries on my trot.
Even with the subtle calamity ensuing as I strolled through the neighborhood, the experience did seem rather peaceful. I don’t think I saw anyone, with the exception of a boy with lit sparklers. I only heard the pops and saw little colorful displays while oooohhing and aaaahhing to myself on my trek.
I walked a little over 2 miles and despite the light commotion, I was still able to clear my mind and did not find the noise distracting. My efforts rewarded me with a more limber body, a calm mind, and a sense of accomplishment.
After some light stretching, I’m going to hang out with some family in the backyard. We’ll sit around a lovely fire and watch any fireworks the neighbors may fire off. I don’t have plans to go downtown to watch the BIG firework show this year. I’d much rather keep it low-key and avoid the nasty traffic.
If it’s not too dark, I highly recommend you take a stroll through your neighborhood. I hope you find the experience as rewarding as I did. Not only that, it’s a little exercise!
Happy Independence day and have a safe holiday!
A Crisp, Clear Walk
6/28/09
I can’t think of any mobility exercises that are more serene than walking. It’s almost like you’re not even exercising. It’s easy on the joints and it allows time to clear the cobwebs in your head.
Indeed, walking will be a great tool to help me shed unwanted pounds. Not just for me but for you as well! I know of several other people who swear by walking daily. I’ve seen both a male and female friend lose 2 lbs per week of the nasty flabby stuff.
Not bad, not bad at all.
I recently got back from walking with family and pets, and boy, do I feel great. I feel refreshed and satisfied. I did, however, hit a snag when walking. My leg actually cramped up for a bit. We have a hilly neighborhood so I didn’t get too worried about this.
Once I got back, I removed my shoes, took a couple of deep breaths, and began stretching my arms, back, abs, and legs.
After a good 10-minute stretch session, I feel even better than before. I consider this to be my first step toward my fitness goals. It was nothing major, but it sure did help my body and mindset.
Try it. I’m sure you’ll agree with the benefits.