The old saying," One foot in front of the other." Walking, it's good for you.

So it's a new year and with a new year comes resolutions.  Some of the most popular are Quit Smoking, Loose weight, Start running, Go to gym, Eat better, Drink less alcohol, etc.  I have been one of these people, we all have been and some still are.  This year I've made a resolution to not make any new years resolutions.  I'm in my 40's now and it's time to make things real and tangible.  Now back in the day I was a runner, a figure skater, played volleyball, basketball, skied, hiked.  Most of these activities I did in my Teens and 20's before kids.  Now it's hiking, skiing, some yoga & Pilates,  shooting hoops with my 13 yr old son and the most " uncool-est"  form of exercise..... WALKING.  

  Now don't get me wrong walking is great for you and it is the easiest thing to do, most of us do it daily and take for-granted this very basic human function.  We first learn to crawl and then walk.  It's what gets us around.  We all see that group of uber healthy people running on the sidewalk or down the beach.  We all want to be and we all envy those people, look at how healthy they must be.  Guess what, you can be just like them with walking. I read an article the other day 62% of Americans are now walking 10 minutes a day or more to get some exercise.  That is great news.  It's a start.  My goal is to walk 1/2 hr a day.  Now some may say," That's not enough"  I say it is as long as you are enjoying your self and your view of your walk and are walking at a good pace. I am not going to lie I've tried running again and even jogging, but I found that I enjoy a good long walk much more than pounding the pavement with running/ jogging.

My dear hubby and I over the years have be come the dreaded couch potatoes you hear about. ( hence part of my weight yoyoing over the years since I've had my kids)  So we have a new puppy who gets me out walking every day.  She may not be the fastest puppy as she loves to stop and look around, sniff and do her private business, however she is making my walks more enjoyable.  My family is going out for walks more often too.  I love walking at the beach or in a park.  Most of my walking is in my very neighborhood where we have a path in a green space between all the subdivisions and it's very nice to be around greenery all year round and see the seasons change and meet new people with their dogs.

You see walking you also get to be sociable.  This is the time I get to  reconnect with my hubby after a long day and just be us and let it all out.  Some times we just walk in silence and hold hands, but that is just as nice as I know we just need quite from all the noise in our lives. Walking with a friend over coffee is also very enjoyable, I do this mostly in the spring to fall months.  If find people hibernate in the winter months and come out fresh in the spring ready to take on the world after their new years resolutions have come and gone.  So with that I'm sticking to the old adage, " One foot in front of the other."  So with being true to myself,  walking for me will do just fine.

                                       Today's walk on a cold, damp west coast winter morning.

                                         Stella our new Yorkie/Havanese puppy at the beach.