The advantages of being a really good walker are so huge that a recent period of restriction on my activity level (from injury) contributed to a decision not to attend a meeting in another town. The reason I’m talking about this in a blog post on pedometer steps is to confide my realization of the immense impact taking on a pedometers steps’ counting lifestyle has had.
I’ve been walking for many years as my exercise of choice for a weight loss lifestyle.
Finding creative ways to include activity and pedometer steps into my daily life is a hobby now.
It is a natural and rewarding part of every day.
Speaking (or writing) as someone who lives this lifestyle of consciously choosing to be active every day with the combined targets of losing weight and maintaining weight loss, it has become such an accepted and pleasurable practice that I am concerned when it is challenged in any way.
Often the limits to pedometer steps or other activity is ‘unreal’ that is it is a byproduct of another ‘activity’ that limits physical movement such as attending a conference. It is only the physical restrictions caused from injury that have a significant dampening effect on my attitude.
In my past I have mainly been sedentary from both occupations and choice. I existed with certain physical limitations without any awareness or concern of this loss.
Now having lived with the enormous freedom generated from the well being and physical capacity regular exercise brings, I am acutely aware of the ‘down’ sides of not being able to walk freely.
This hasn’t always been the case. When I took on exercise again after a limiting illness the process was not easy. The surge of enthusiasm that got me started also meant that I tried to do too much and was incapacitated mentally as well as physically by the pain resulting from ‘overdoing’ it. I didn’t ‘understand’ exercise or that walking was exercise. It is getting to the other side of any injuries or other restrictions on my ability to choose to walk that feels like a real achievement. My confidence comes from living both sides of this issue. I know the doubts and I know that being on this side, of relying on walking as a destressor and weight control tool, is a fantastic way to live.
It has been some time since I have caused myself a physical strain or exercise related injury and so falling and hurting my ribs was a shock mentally and physically.
I now rely on the mental and physical, as well as weight loss, benefits of walking. It is standard to the process that someone who has struggled with weight loss has a certain routine up and down gain and loss effect within their weight loss lifestyle. Injury has the added frustration of probably meaning weight gain for the time it affects me unless I adjust my eating levels to compensate for the lack of activity.
These frustrations are part of the pedometer steps process. Or weight loss or diet or exercise program.
The advantage of this injury for me has been to highlight the benefits of pedometer steps and walking.
The attitude for life around making activity an easy part of every day is the basis of this blog. If you like the idea of keeping in touch with us, you can follow on Twitter (link on top right) or ‘like’ the Walking to Lose Weight page on Facebook (top right). Thanks for visiting Pedals and Pedometer Steps.
