do it yourself FREEDOM

Impacts: Mind, Health, Community

“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very fast.” – Thomas Jefferson

I bet some smart mathematician could calculate the number of pounds America has gained as a result of the invention of the remote control. Many of us live sedentary lives. We drive everywhere, we sit on sofas, we sit at desks, we lay in bed. We can have just about everything we want delivered to our homes. Even trips to the mall are becoming passe with the ease and simplicity of shopping online. I’m not complaining, I make good money building my little part of the Internet from my desk, but finding reasons to move more seems to be an even increasing challenge.

The idea is simple, get off your butt and do something, anything. I can be as simple as a daily walk with the dig or a family walk after dinner, but whatever it is make it a routine. Build a habit by making a point to do it everyday. Walk to lunch. Walk to a friend’s house. Find fun nearby places to go. Buy a bike. Pick up a sport. You could even join a club but most people seem to never go anyway so you might be better off just walking the dog.

The more you move the more your health will improve. Our bodies need exercise and most of us seem to be having trouble finding time to move more. By creating creative ways of getting off our butts we will begin to see improvements in our health. After a while you’ll even notice you like it. You’ll also notice initially that its really hard to make it a habit because you’ll be looking for that instant gratification like weight loss. Try not to put that pressure on yourself, just keep going and enjoy it. Remember watched pots do boil they just seem like they take forever to get there. Stop watching your pot, keep it moving.

Take Action

• Walk more. Find good reasons to go for a walk like walking the dog, walking with the kids, walking to nearby stores, parks, schools.
• Make moving a habit. Choose a time everyday that makes sense to get out of the house.
• Bicycles cover more distance faster. If your frequent destinations, stores, parks, school, are too far to walk to, try riding a bike there.