WALKING: IT’ S NOT JUST FOR STEPS ANYMORE
Walking had once been a fitness challenge for me. Now, it’ s a cherished tradition.
BY LESLIE J. WARD
Many years ago( seems like another lifetime), I was so busy taking care of my three young children, our pets, house and garden, that I didn’ t need to seek out physical fitness. An active lifestyle came with the territory. As my children grew older and I began to work as a church secretary, though, things were different. I wasn’ t moving around as much. I was getting out of shape, losing my energy and vitality. It was noticeable. And it was concerning.
I decided to do something about it. I’ d never been into organized sports or jogging or calisthenics, so I decided that walking would be the solution. I began to walk almost every day, around the neighborhood and back and forth to a local school. After a while, though, I lost interest in the familiar scenery and I walked less and less.
I needed to find a new place to walk. Then I heard about North Park, a 3,000-acre park with a beautiful 75-acre lake. A 5-mile paved path loops around the lake. Five miles … 10,000 steps. Yes, 10,000 steps— that seemingly magical number for optimal health. A short drive from my house, the North Park Lake seemed like the perfect place for my fitness journey. I was determined to get back in shape, and that would be the place to do it.
I pursued that walk, those 10,000 steps, with vigor. I began to walk around the lake three or four times a week, in all but the worst weather. I was on a mission: To get in shape, to lose weight, to get my strength back. I would set out with my head down, focused, concentrating on going at a brisk pace, checking my fitness watch to see those steps mount up. How gratifying when the watch vibrated and displayed the encouraging“ Goal Achieved!” at 10,000 steps!
And it worked. I did feel stronger and in better shape, and I was committed to continuing. But then I realized I was missing something.
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