Walk This Way

There nothing like finally being within 20 pounds of your “driver’s license weight” to motivate a girl to exercise.

If you’ve followed my newspaper column, you’ll know that I’ve written before with my year-long weigh loss effort.  So far, so good; I’ve dropped 60 pounds, which I’ve been told would be about the average weight of a young elementary student.  Hard to imagine I lugged the equivalent of an extra kid around every day.

So here I am, almost able to announce no change needed when I renew my license next year.  (Don’t doubt for a minute that I paid for the long-term license renewal.  No need to avoid eye contact and hide the old hips when grabbing a new license every year or two.)  Now I need to get serious and renew any semblance of an exercise routine.  In the process, I’ve learned a thing or two about what motivates me now, versus when I was in my 20s or 30s.

Twenty years ago if a girlfriend had said “Come with me, I’ve just started a great new jazz aerobics/step/stomp class.  You’ll have fun!” I would have been all over it.  Now, having broken my foot, twice, in my own house, doing routine, everyday things, I run/hobble away from anything coordinated.  My new exercise motivators include my neighbors, who late in the evening, sit on their porch and keep count of the times I make it around the circle. 

We give friendly little waves and for my reward we sit and pass the time catching up on the latest neighborhood news; but let’s be honest, I’m pretty easy on myself, or I wouldn’t have had any need to lose 60-80 pounds.  I need unbiased neighbors letting me know that my evening’s lap count was only two times around as opposed to four the night before.

I also now try to stay out late enough to see the fireflies.   I’m not “allowed” to stand around and watch them; I must be actively engaged in aerobic activity.  Fireflies are fascinating and one of the best parts of early summer.  So I may be slowing by the time their airborne, but at least I’m still moving.

Being social by nature, I’m not a good solitary walker.  I always prefer to have a walking buddy.  I’ve worn out my share in the 15 years we’ve lived here.  So far four different early-mornings walking pals have moved on.  They actually did move and I don’t think just to avoid my incessant babbling.

Currently my friend Misty and I use our late evening walks as a way to motivate each other and let go of any of the day’s stress.  We’ve been looking for a Web site that might give us a calorie burned count for talking.  We know we’re walking at least two miles, but we think we’re talking at least another quarter of a mile.

Whatever your motivator, get out and enjoy the early summer.  Neosho is a great place to take a walk.