What's afoot: Walking saves money, sanity, your waistline
Posted
Apr 11 2008, 01:44 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Last weekend I walked to a grocery store about three blocks from my apartment. It was a mild, sunny day. Even the dandelions looked beautiful.
My brain was hurting after a morning of reading scholarly articles. A sample sentence: "Fitting into the larger domain of critical theory, this line of inquiry probes the assumptions that underlie the unmarked categories in a society, exposing the constructed character of normalcy and revealing the institutional practices that create aberrations from the norm."
You can understand why dandelions seemed gorgeous by comparison.
The sun was a balm, primroses and phlox were blooming, and confetti of cherry blossom petals decorated my path. By the time I got to the market, I was happy. My mood remained upbeat as I found some of the nicest tomatoes I've seen since I left New Jersey, plus a couple of treasures in the meat department's "priced for quick sale" section.
In these days of increased gas prices and increased environmental awareness, it just makes sense to walk whenever we can. But hoofing it has other benefits, too.
Walk it off
The trip was a mood-lifter (more on that below). It got me away from the computer; how easy it is to get bound up for hours and hours with deadlines and homework. "Bound up" is the right phrase, since a sedentary lifestyle makes me achy and more than a little cranky.
Walking increases overall fitness and may improve certain health conditions. You don't need a trainer, a gym membership or special equipment (except for decent shoes). You get healthier, and your car gets time off for your good behavior. Or so says University of Colorado history professor Patty Limerick, who lost 40 pounds on what she calls "Patty's Pedestrian Diet."
"My new habits reduced my weight and my cholesterol, and reduced the frequency of my visits to the gas pump," writes Limerick, 55. "I should think that many Americans would welcome this paired set of improvements."
A writer I know told me that she thinks "in walk tempo." A daily two-mile stroll helps her sort through writer's block and any other pressing concerns.
When I do make time to walk, my mind sifts through whatever is challenging, troubling or irritating me. Sometimes I come up with solutions. Sometimes I realize there's no solution, just a combination of coping mechanisms.
And sometimes I don’t think at all. I just get a little exercise while walking to Home Depot to buy compact fluorescent light bulbs for the apartment building I manage.
Try a little shoe leather
Limerick calls this "destination walking." Not everyone lives within walking distance of a market, a library, a movie theater. Those who don't need to find another incentive. Here's a good one: the endorphin buzz, which Limerick calls "one of the world's healthiest and happiest ways of getting high."
Some people have reasons not to walk. It's dark when they get home and their neighborhoods are poorly lit. They have very young children who can't cover much ground. Their part of town is crime-infested or lacks sidewalks.
There may be a way around these situations. Trade child care with another parent who needs a break. Or put your kid in a stroller and take him with you -- even newborns can benefit from a change of scenery.
Workers: If you get a 15-minute break, use it for walks. Devote half of your lunch hour to walking. Nowhere to walk at your workplace? Pace the perimeter of the parking lot, or walk up and down stairs.
Go to a shopping mall on your way to or from work and walk briskly for 20 minutes in the safety of the indoors. Don't walk by the food court; chocolate-chip cookie aromas are not safe. Leave your credit cards at home, too.
According to Limerick, the need for a specific errand or destination fades. If you can go to a produce stand for oranges or stop by the bank, that's swell -- it's one more chance to leave the car at home. But at some point, walking becomes a necessity. You'll feel antsy if you don’t do it.
You can thank the endorphins for that. And, I might add, endorphins are free.
