Shorts season is here, my thighs are still pale and fluffy, and my body is still holding on to some of the turkey fat from last year’s Thanksgiving.  I’m not willing to go on a diet (Haven’t been on a real one since High School) and not really willing to cut down even a little on the Nutella (As I mentioned before, I have the overactive sweet tooth affliction) so it’s time for me to get back to doing some serious walking to get my legs and body into shape.

Yes, I have chosen to go back to practicing this simple exercise for my weight loss plan because it’s easy, I can do it almost anytime and anywhere, and I don’t need any exercise equipment except a decent pair of shoes.  Another reason I chose it is because it’s really practical for me.  I live in the city.  The shopping mall, grocery, movie theatre, library, video store and rec centre are a brisk 20-minute walk away.  I won’t have to schedule a walk into my weekly routine, I simply allow for an extra 40 minutes (the time it will take for me to walk to and from) to do my regular errands.

It’s a very economical way to exercise: no gym membership fees and no special equipment other than shoes.  I can do it during a coffee or lunch break. It’s a great way to de-stress.  Plus if I am feeling lonely, I can do it while chatting with friends.  By the way, there are Meet-Up Walking Groups in many cities in North America that take walks regularly and would be very happy to have new members (See if your city has one here).

I did a little bit of research and found numerous articles on the web stating the health benefits of walking like managing weight, lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and avoiding type 2 diabetes.  I also read that going on walks can improve your mood and mental state.  I found one stating you can improve your brain power by walking (I have listed all the article links at the end of this post).  Also, in my experience, I found that if I have a problem, I can find a solution to it more easily if I take a walk.  I think better when I pace around my living room (In fact, I pace around my living room as I write this article).  I heard from someone that it has to do with the body’s alternating motion between it’s left and right sides that triggers something in the brain’s creativity centre.

Anyhow, that’s it for this post.  It’s time for me to put my plan to work and pick up some soup for dinner and start walking to the grocery store.

To read more about walking, here are some of the articles I found: 

Improve general health:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612 and http://walking.about.com/cs/howtoloseweight/a/walkoffweight.htm

Improve mood:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/bethisrael/19332840/detail.html

Improve brain power:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/eveningnews/main2368898.shtml

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