School started on September 3rd….and I decided to take a walk.

Photo credit Heidi Jirotka Photography

That was about 7 weeks ago….and I’m happy to report that I am still walking! I love it. The weather in early September was really hot and humid, and for the first time this past week I wore a light jacket. Weather here in NS is varied, but this time of year typically is the best. Why am I walking? Many reasons….but mostly because my 45-year-old, not getting any younger self, needs some regular exercise.

For the first few weeks I would send ” There….I did it…” selfies to my girlfriends. 😉

I enjoy fitness classes but trying to fit a scheduled 1 hr class (about a 2 hr time block by the time I drive to class and back and get home and shower, etc) into my life several times a week just doesn’t seem to fit. Going to an actual gym is also largely unappealing. However….being outside…in nature…I enjoy.

You know what else I enjoy? Podcasts! I’ve recently discovered them , well I sort of binged on Serial over the summer and now I’ve stumbled on the wide and varied Podcasts topics one can listen too. Oh my….I actually look forward to listening to my podcast almost as much as the walk….which is good because it keeps me going!

Another thing that is motivating me…the Map my Walk app. Oh boy….I love this too. I asked two (now 3 )of my girlfriends to join me on the app as a way of being accountable to “someone”. I’m a very non-competitive person, so I’m only trying to get out the door with my sneakers on, most days, and enjoy my walk. But, seeing how far I’ve walked each week/month, is definitely inspiring. In September, I walked a little over 60km! (I’m going to do a future post on Map my Walk and also Podcasts to share what I love about each.) I walk a route on weekdays….from my house…down the paved road a bit, then loop around a beautiful side road that goes alongside a lake. It takes me about 35 minutes, then home and showered and ready for the day in under an hour. This makes me happy. I’ve also done longer walks on the weekends on some of the trails with friends. I love this too. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful. It can be rejuvenating, peaceful and social. You should try it! 😉

My daughter and I after walking one of the local trails

Do you have a favourite trail, or place to go for walks? I’m always looking for new places to discover.