Walking for Fun and Fitness

I'm reading an interesting book on walking that I picked up at the Green Valley Book Fair for a measly $4.00. (What a bargain!) It's called Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone who developed a walking system that requires no special equipment except a good pair of walking shoes and can be done outside or in your own living room. When the weather is fine outside walking is the best as far as I'm concerned. I walk with my head in the clouds literally -- they are so beautiful. Today I saw three goldfinch on the telephone wire and a small plane flying below big puffy cumulus clouds.

But when it rains or is bitter cold and windy I have an alternative now. Leslie's system is based on a method of walking in place that you can do in your own living room while you watch a movie or the morning news. It includes some variations like side stepping and a kick step. You can use one of Leslie's DVDs or you can do it on your own at your own pace. Leslie offers different levels of walking workouts that include a six-mile an hour clip -- Yikes! I don't think that's for me, but that's the beauty of it. Whatever your pace, walking works.

I've done aerobics and one of the discouraging things was feeling like a total klutz trying to follow the moves, but with this walking system, everything is so fundamental. The basic step is walking in place. Hey, who doesn't know how to walk? You've been doing it since you took your first steps.

Leslie encourages people to "Make walking your sport for life." Try it online. Visit Leslie's site and click on the five minute workout on the right. You'll see how easy it is. In fact, it's so easy, a caveman can do it.


Since I did the 100 miles in 100 days I've been committed to keeping it up, and this makes it really possible because when bad weather comes I can still walk. Yippee! Thanks, Leslie, for a great system that anyone can do no matter their level of fitness or athletic ability. I don't plan to purchase the exercise videos because I'd rather walk and listen to the radio or watch an episode of one of my favorite series, like All Creatures Great and Small. But I'm just loving my walking, and reading Leslie's book gives me more motivation to keep it up!