A year ago, I sold my car and committed to walking to work. Most weekdays, I walked a little under three
miles to my office in downtown Austin. I hope to encourage others who live
within a reasonable walking distance from their offices to give it a try.
I've never been a huge fan of exercise. I figured if I did something
extreme, like selling my car, I could reduce my carbon footprint while getting
healthy and saving money. In 2013, I channeled my inner Forrest Gump and logged
over 500 miles. Here are 10 reasons I’m hooked.
A three mile walk
once a day is not a big deal. Before I began walking to work, I casually
dated a treadmill and had a few minor flings with the machines at the gym. I
was miserable there. I hated waiting for a treadmill, I’m weird about smells (and
the gym is full of them), and I always felt like a hamster, plugging along without
a purpose. But walking? It’s really not a big deal. If you are pokey like me,
it will take you between 45 minutes to an hour to knock out three miles a day. Not
long at all.
Walking makes you
feel fantastic. Every single day I walked -- regardless of the weather or my
mood before I left the house -- I arrived at work feeling great. This is the
first time in my entire life that I have felt that addicted to exercise. Exercise-addicted
people used to drive me nuts, but I finally get it now. If I skip a day, I feel
crummy, and by mid-morning I’m pumping myself up with coffee to stay awake.
If you’re walking to
lose weight, good luck with that. I know, I know, it’s a bummer, but
evidently walking a few miles a day isn't a weight loss guarantee. One of my
biggest motivations for walking to work was that I figured I would lose weight.
The first few months, I definitely lost weight, but I was also eating a pretty
strict vegan diet at the time. When my love affair with cheese beat my desire
to go Vegan, I quit losing weight. Walking alone doesn't cut the mustard when
it comes to weight loss. You have to actually cut the mustard, or in my case, the chips and queso, but you have to cut calories. Period.
If you sell your car
and walk, you will save crazy money. I’m married with kids, so selling both
cars isn't an option for us. However, just ditching one car made a big
difference. I don’t miss the car payment, the additional car insurance, the
downtown parking fees, and the gas and maintenance. I also don’t miss the road
rage.
Have a Plan B. Likely, you will need some flexibility for
parent-teacher conferences and daytime errands. Austin offers Car2Go, a car share program where
you simply check out a cute little smart car to use when you need it. I also
rely on our city bus system and my wildly supportive husband, who picks me up
from work many afternoons. Of course, not everyone has these options. If that’s
the case, try and schedule in time to walk before work or after work when you
can bring the kids along with you.
Walking reduces
anxiety. According to the Anxiety and Depression
Association of America, just five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate
anti-anxiety effects. I’m walking proof
that it’s true. I’m a pretty high-strung gal, and when I walk, it makes a huge
difference in how I handle stress.
Walking forces you
away from screen time. It’s really refreshing to take a break from screens.
While giving your neck and eyes a break, how about checking out the world
around you? I actually see sunrises now. I also pass other walkers and feel an
immediate sense of kinship. Some days, I get what I call “God’s bonus,” and a
pack of shirtless guys half my age jog by, and I feel momentarily what grown
men feel like when they ogle cheerleaders.
Worried you’ll get
bored? Pod-casts are the way to go. When I started walking regularly, my
coworker suggested I subscribe to some pod casts, and recommended NPR’s Pop Culture
Happy Hour. Now, I geek out to several pod casts several days a week. Here’s
the iTunes
Top 10 to get you going.
Be prepared. On Sunday nights, put your workout clothes and
shoes somewhere visible so Monday morning you are ready to roll. This will keep
you from making lazy Monday morning excuses.
Don’t stop. Make
your walks a priority. Aside from one
nasty fall I took a few months ago that knocked me out for a few days, I've
been like a postman when it comes to my walks. I've walked when it’s 102
degrees, and this week, I left the house when it was below freezing. It’s that
important. I never thought I would say that!
If I can do this, so can you! Follow me on Twitter @auarndt
and let me know how it goes!
No comments:
Post a Comment