Doing Something: 8,800 Steps

One of my favorite things to say is that "Doing something is always better than doing nothing." That is exactly what I was thinking about today, as I set out to walk my 8,800 steps. To be honest, I really didn't want to walk outside today. I had contemplated staying inside and doing my short video on the importance of stretching and how it's important to warm up your muscles before any exercise. I also was going to talk about yoga. I have done yoga for years, and I really feel like it assists with my posture, opens up my body, and allows me to focus on my core. If someone tells you that you have to be thin to do yoga, it's not true. That's another great thing about yoga, you can do it at any weight or fitness level.

Another day out on the trail. 

Anyway, I decided to walk outside today even though it was pretty cold. It was about 34 degrees when I started walking and by the end of my walk it was 30 degrees. Nevertheless, I was able to increase my heart rate and really give my whole body a solid cardiovascular workout. Another thing I want to say here is that you don't have to be thin to workout, either. Anyone can workout at any weight. If you are thinking to yourself, I will start walking or exercising when I lose weight, you should start walking now. I have a secret to tell you. Not even a quarter of the people at the gym are super in shape. A lot of the people there probably look just like you. When it gets warmer out, I hope to post a picture that shows more of my body. I'm not thin or young or the most in shape person. But, I still get out there and get my walk on five days a week.

I mentioned in my video this week that if you are walking 8,800 steps that you are doing a 5K. You should take a minute to congratulate yourself on a job well done. However, if you haven't reached 8,800 steps this week, that's okay. I understand that everyone is at different fitness levels. I remember sitting in my living room three or four years ago not even thinking about walking in the winter. Winter was a time for reading books, sitting by the fire, watching movies, and waiting for Spring. Still, I would walk around my townhouse (at the time I lived in a townhouse), walk up and down the stairs several times, or I would exercise using the Wii.  I managed to find a way to exercise and to move my body somehow. And, like I said earlier, doing something is better than doing nothing.

So, if you are really struggling to get moving, figure out where you are today. If you are really sedentary, then maybe think about getting up from your couch and touching your door 8 times a day. (I picked 8 because we are doing 8,800 steps this week.) Or, you can set the timer on your phone and walk in place 8 minutes a day. I used to set my timer for a certain number of minutes while I was cleaning my house, and I would clean in those intervals. Using that example, you could clean for 8 minutes interval. Cleaning is a form of exercise and so is cooking. Remember, whenever you are moving your body it counts.