Do You Walk The Walk?

Posted by kphirst

March 31, 2008

Everyone agrees walking is good for us. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees about how much is good. Some say thirty minutes three or four times a week. Others say every day. Some say you should move at fifty-five percent of your maximum heart rate. Others say you should take ten thousand steps. I’m sure that improved pedometer sales, but I’m hyperactive. If I was told to take ten thousand steps a day, I’d have too much time on my hands.

We’ve all been told not to use our cars for short trips and to use stairs instead of elevators. Because I’m claustrophobic, I’ve always done that. I don’t do well in stuck elevators. Once I felt compelled to accompany my stepmother in an elevator to a second-floor restaurant. When the elevator door opened, I was faced by a brick wall. Thinking I was in the Twilight Zone, I screamed. Who knew an elevator door behind me had opened to face a room full of surprised diners?

I like long walks. As I fast foot my way through the neighborhood, I like to compare landscaping. I like to see how people make similar houses look different. There’s a bubble-gum-pink house with shrubs of blue hydrangea. I suppose the “No Solicitors” sign on the gate means they don’t want unsolicited advice either.

Frequently I see familiar faces. Several senior citizens have adopted my dog because their housing doesn’t allow pets. Thus Zachary is the recipient of hugs, kisses and doggie treats. One woman leaves a dish of water for him. Another gave him a new leash for Christmas. Because Zac doesn’t like long, poodle promenades, I refer to it as his new leash on life.

Asian tourists - particularly females - are so taken with my poodle that they act like groupies, wanting to pose for pictures with him. You’d think he was Brad Pittbull.

To walk you don’t need special outfits or equipment. It’s an exercise you can do anywhere all your life. When it rains, however, I hate going to the gym to use a treadmill. Instead, I go to the mall and power stroll around all three levels. It’s window-shopping for my health.

The good news is thirty minutes a day can add fifteen healthy months to your life. The bad news is if you can put one foot in front of the other, there’s really no excuse not to do it.

Knight Pierce Hirst takes humorous looks at life. Take a minute to make yourself smile at http://knightwatch.typepad.com

Humor