Walking The Walk

Spring has sprung here in the good ole Heartland.   All of my friends and neighbors are coming out of hibernation, birds are singing, trees are blossoming, and I am riding the high that comes with this change in seasons!  Woooo!  I want to do ALL the things!  As the past has taught me, however, I SHOULD NOT try to do ALL the things.  I need to choose carefully how I spend my energy.

One thing I AM adding in is more meaningful movement.  As a proponent of healthy fat people, I am (believe it or not) a fan of "exercise".  Now, I put that in quotes because in my life, there is a caveat for what I decide IS exercise.  First and foremost, my brain and body hate straining and striving for no reason. The goal of getting fit is not good enough to motivate my brain to get excited about moving my body.  It needs a "why?".

Of course, gardening takes a front seat in my life from here until Fall.  Gardening provides a why for the hours of twisting, pulling, bending, and lifting that I do.  I can literally garden all day without wanting to quit.  I can push myself to finish one more row or to dig one more hole. I've already created a small prairie in my front yard.  All of  the various weeds and grasses that grow wild in my yard were sectioned off into a "bed". Then, my prairie was seeded with chamomile, lavender, spearmint, and baby's breath. I have a connection to this form of nature and it will calm me just to see this wild patch of land that I am allowing to just grow crazy!  Also, this year I only planted A Blood type produce in my vegetable garden.  Arugula, lettuce, basil, green beans, carrots, beets, chard, and corn are all on the homegrown menu for summer!  It takes blood, sweat, and time to garden, but it's certainly worth it to me.  I love, love, love the practice of gardening.

Another form of exercise that seems meaningful to me this time of year is hiking/walking. Hiking is an activity that my mind enjoys...here is the beginning, there is the end, the path between is natural, wonderful, and captivating for my senses.  Nature calms me, even when I am trekking through it.  I have vivid, happy memories of walking miles and miles along trails in Germany as a child.  There was one trail that connected two Army bases that went through a big forest.  It smelled damp and earthy and felt cool and green. Another favorite German hiking trail was in the tiny village we lived in near Heilbronn.  This trail was open and wound through various farms and orchards.  Giant green cabbages and sugary over-ripe apples lined my path as a wondered around for hours at a time.  I never got too tired or wanted to quit.  I still truly love this form of movement.

Alas, there is not always a trail to explore.  So, I have to find other meaningful ways to move my body. There must be a reason or a destination though, otherwise, it is drudgery to me.  Simply walking around the neighborhood is boring and meaningless to my brain.  I don't wanna do it and I get tired and whiny when I try. The little trick of parking farther away from stores or parking in a central location to an area where I need to run multiple errands DOES work well in my little brain's motivation sector. So, I do that.

Additionally, I just purchased an inexpensive (but good quality) pedometer.  Without intentionally trying to exercise, I have managed to walk 3000 steps on the weekend and 6500 steps when I work.  That's not really a LOT, but it's not nothing. According to one website, I burn nearly 300 calories when I clock a mere 3,000 steps.  It's a start.  It's doable and enjoyable for me to "exercise" in this way. I am a goal meeting kind of gal, so knowing that the recommended number of steps is 10,000/day, I find myself thinking of ways that I could get more steps in.

Spring has sprung.  I've made intentional choices about my protecting and strengthening my physical and mental health by focusing on the goal of meaningful movement.  I'm excited to get out there and enjoy the renewed planet!