National Start! Walking Day

by Catherine Holecko

Today, April 8, the American Heart Association encourages us all to get out and walk for 30 minutes. The group is asking workplaces to promote the event to employees, but I think it's a good reminder to all of us that walking is a super-easy, accessible way to fit a little more fitness into our lives. Check out this list of benefits from the AHA. Research shows that walking (or participating in some other moderate physical activity) for just a half-hour a day can:

Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
Improve blood lipid profile
Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
Enhance mental well being
Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
Reduce the risk of non insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes

Lace up your sneakers and take a walk today. Aim for about 3,000 steps in those 30 minutes and you'll reach that "moderate" activity threshold. For help tracking your activity, and motivation to do more, try a pedometer or activity computer.

Postscript (9:30 AM): I don't want to venture outdoors today because freezing temperature last night and three to six inches of snow in the nearby mountains!! The weatherman promises nice weather for Easter.
~~~~~~~~
Postscript II (6:30 PM): I didn't walk (not even to the mail box). But I'm proud to report that I completed the Income Taxes and e-Filed Federal and State. This is a tremendous relief because one month ago I lacked motivation, and energy, to tackle the project. Today is one day short of the two month anniversary since I diagnosed the source of my illness. At this Easter season, I'm grateful for my own "resurrected life"!!
~~~~~~~~

When things go wrong...

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint on the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.

—Unknown
~~~~~~~~