07 Jun, 2012
Nine Things for Operation Trim: #2 is WALKIEEEEeeeS
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Challenge me, challenge you
Operation Trim is not about major weight loss and does not involve me signing up for a gym membership. It’s my own personal challenge to trim down in the easiest way possible. The plan is to work with what I’ve got, and what I’ve got includes a pair of legs that are in good working order and a dog… a dog who needs exercise because she’s turning into a couch potato, just like her momma (but with more fur):
I have notched up the daily dog walk as part of Operation Trim. Let us review the benefits of walking for a moment shall we?
- It is easy exercise.
- I can set my own pace.
- It is private.
- It’s good for the mind as well as the body.
- Fresh air, vitamin D, a snoot full of sunshine… these are all good things that we need every day!
- It’s cheap: no memberships, no special equipment, and no special training required.
Walking is not:
- difficult
- taking up a lot of extra time
- making me feel bad about my jiggly bits, because unlike running I cannot feel them jiggling while I walk
I don’t walk as fast when I’m wearing flip-flops, so I’ve committed to wearing proper footwear when I walk the dog. When I’m wearing proper shoes it’s easier for me to push myself too.
For the past couple of mornings I have laced up, brought my iPhone loaded with music (music provides a HUGE boost for me), and set out on a circular route with the dog (who sadly has trouble keeping up). I did a decent 3K walk this morning, which is good for me. I use Map My Walk to mark the route and track my progress. There are many apps out there which can tell you how far and how fast you walk but this one seems to work well for me.
I’ve actually been working up a sweat, which I don’t normally do when I’m walking with Piper. This tells me two things: (a) I’m working harder and (b) I should always wear gym clothes because otherwise I’m setting myself up to stink afterwards. Oh well, everyone knows that sweat is actually liquid fat dripping away! No, I’m just kidding. Sweat is not liquid fat, but I like to pretend it is. It motivates me to work harder. The unfortunate part about all of this is running into people I know in the neighbourhood. I ran into a blog reader this morning (I’m lookin’ at you lacoop) while looking rather rumpled and unwashed. Ah, but this is the price I pay. ;)
Anyway, there is it!
The next Operation Trim post is going to spice things up a little. Just wait and see.