Tuesday's Tip

Today's tip: move it!

OK, with all due apologies to the Marathon Man, I really don't like to exercise. It bores me to no end. Unfortunately, with the lifestyles we have today, it is necessary to find some way to move our bodies as they were designed to do.

You can join a gym, but that doesn't work unless you actually go and exercise once you are there. You can buy all kinds of machinery to have in your home and exercise in the privacy of you bedroom. But if you are like me, it makes a much nicer clothes rack. I have had some success with dance classes and aerobics classes, but that is just not in the budget or the schedule these days.

So what to do, what to do.

Well, I walk. It's not particularly glamorous, but it does the trick. I have an appointment every morning with my radio and my walking shoes. I have mapped out a mile in my neighborhood. I walk the same path every morning - well, almost every morning. I try to do it first thing after my quiet time. If I don't do it then, it probably won't get done. If time permits, sometimes I'll go another round in the afternoon or after dinner, but I try to get that morning walk in every day. It wakes me up, jump starts my metabolism, and puts me in a better mood for the day.

Because I walk the same route every morning, I also get to see the subtle changes that occur each day. It is fun to watch the trees as they bud out and get all leafy. To see the changes people make in their landscaping. To watch as the flowers start to bloom. To see the dogs get used to me walking by and not bark so much. To see which houses are going up for sale and which ones have sold.

Walking works for me, but it may not be your thing. Find something you enjoy, or at least can tolerate, and do it. Swim. Bounce on a tiny trampoline. Do jumping jacks to your favorite tunes. Just move!