You Should Make Walking An Every Day Priority

By: Yvonne Volante

No one needs to be reminded that the fitness craze has arrived
in full bloom and hints to us that it's not going away anytime
soon.

For the more, shall we say, "leisurely" type of person, this can
cause a lot of guilt. "I'm going to start walking -- next week."
"How hard can it be to just walk for 30 minutes? I can do that.
I just haven't had time." We've all heard (and sometimes used)
one of these excuses.

The one reason people don't do what they don't absolutely have
to do is simple: They don't want to, and they don't have to. We
grow up learning that death and taxes are the only two
inevitables. Now they want us to exercise?

Exercise is thought of by many people as a forced kind of event,
and walking hovers near the top of the list in the "boring"
category. "I don't want to just WALK! What's the point, where's
the destination?" we ask.

Well, just like everything else, there are loopholes here
aplenty; it's up to the individual to make something so
intolerably "boring" pretty interesting. It's also imperative to
your health that you rethink that statement and re-prioritize
your life.

Just think of it this way: Do you place a high enough priority
on yourself and your well-being? It never hurts to remind
yourself of the health benefits you'd gain by walking regularly.
It's true -- you will not notice these long-term benefits right
away, you will notice these things: You'll have more energy.
You'll sleep better. You'll be fitter. And you'll be happier.

Still not enough? OK. On those days you really can't seem to set
aside a half hour for a walk, you CAN walk. Find shorter
segments of time where walking naturally fits into your
schedule. If you're used to driving everywhere, this may take a
little rethinking. But consider this: If you have a short errand
to do, a meeting to attend, or a child to pick up, walk. If
you're headed to see a movie, to worship, to a game, walk.
Although it may take a few minutes longer than normal, remind
yourself of your efficient use of time: you're actually
accomplishing several things at once. (This is a mental trick,
but it works.)

Look, if our ancestors survived the Ice Age, it won't kill you
to walk in the rain. In our age of climate control and central
air, we like our environment to remain comfortable at all times.
But, come on, how "boring" is that?

Another trick is to think of walking as a basic human need, like
sleep, shelter, and food. Then, after you complete your 30
minutes, reward yourself with any of the other three needs. Walk
back home and go in the kitchen.

The key is to never demand too much from yourself. So what if
the dishes aren't done? Do them later. You'll live longer and
more healthfully if you walk instead of do the dishes! And
doctors don't prescribe doing the laundry a certain amount of
times during the week. These are the "blocks" you put in front
of yourself that keep you from walking.

It certainly isn't easy to change our priorities in today's
hectic world, but it's harder to begin "getting healthy" when
it's a little too late -- and the house is spotless.

About the author:
Yvonne Volante, the author, is a big fan of walking and fitness and
writes for upandwalking.com, which is the premier walking
resource on the internet. You can see all of the articles over
at http://www.upandwalking.com