Walk Toward Physical and Spiritual Fitness

The weather where I live is warming up. Don’t hate me if you live in New York, Michigan or Minnesota. Your turns are coming. Daylight Savings Time starts early this year–this month. If you packed on pounds over the winter, developed “internalitis”–that condition resulting from having your body and your thoughts inside for too long, can’t muster the energy to do anything more than what’s absolutely required of you, it’s time to move.

No, I’m not talking about to Florida. There are too many of you here already. And, if you live here, I’m not talking about back up north where everything’s better and things like weight gain and depression never happen. Although that certainly is an option if you want it. We could use the extra room.

I’m actually talking about moving your body–not far, just around. Walking, in my opinion, is the most beneficial exercise there is–mainly because it doesn’t seem like torture. If I head straight for a park and a walk after work, the stress melts away like ice cream in August. It’s amazing. The longer I walk, the more energized I feel. My head starts to clear and breathing gets easier instead of harder.

I can’t believe what a sloth I’ve become over the years. I was so active when I was younger and just drifted into some other realm. Suddenly I’m realizing I’m a little stiff. Body parts do not react well to inertness. They don’t understand that the job, the kids, the friends, the husband, the animals and extended family are sucking the life out of you and you just need a bath, a book and some chocolate–or a bottle of Vodka and a carton of Marlboro Lights.

See, all that stuff crowding your brain piles up in the rest of the body too. It has to be worked out of the muscles and tissue, the bones and ligaments. The body needs oxygen and blood pushed through, like a good pressure washing, to feel good. You’ll know what I mean when you do something strenuous after a long, sedentary break.

I helped someone move last Sunday. That was my horrifying reminder. I couldn’t lift, breathe, navigate stairs while carrying boxes or talk while doing any of it. I kept just enough oxygen in reserve to gasp, “911,” if necessary. The good news is that, as the afternoon wore on, I actually felt stronger and more capable so I guess I’m not too far gone. But it was enough of a warning to me not to let myself get that way.

After work today I went to a peaceful park, encircled by a shady path, surrounded by oak trees and azaleas in full bloom. I needed the quiet and the steady, rhythmic pace to clear my mind of the negativity that had collected there all day. When I was younger, I wasn’t able to let it go while I exercised. I held onto the stress and other people’s bad behavior. It made every workout more dreaded and harder to get through. I’m grateful that these days I know what I need. I need to release that stuff. And I let myself do it as I just focus on walking fast and breathing. That’s enough.

It really is just like dumping an overloaded garbage can. And it happens so fast. A whole day seems wiped away after a lap or two. Your entire perspective shifts. To me, walking accomplishes exercise, meditation, prayer and relaxation all at one time–if you allow it to. Since these things are all essential to our mental and physical well being, it seems like a good way to make sure we get all we need without engaging a Palm Pilot. That defeats the purpose anyway.

Just like everything else we tend to complicate matters like these, thinking we have to schedule classes and race to be there on time. And after days full of interaction we find ourselves in gyms or classes with more crowds of people. Yoga, spinning, aerobics, pilates. The classes cost money and keep us on tight schedules even at night and on weekends. Keep it simple. Go for a walk anywhere you want, anytime you want. Think of it as a daily, mini-vacation without room service.