Healthy Mind, Healthy Spirit, Healthy Body

My favorite workout because it's easy and I don't have to remember anything. (I used to mess up aerobic dancing all the time! Don't think I could ever have been a Rockette!) So stand up at your computer and take a "walk with Leslie" break.

I DID IT!

Well, I made it. I walked 100 miles (a tad over) in 100 days even after lazing along for the first 50 days and finding myself 15 miles behind. By week eleven I got serious and walked 10-12 miles a week for the last month. Over the weekend on our camping trip Larry and I walked six miles (and biked five on the C & O Canal path) including four on the cornfield trail at Antietam. 

Today is the last day of the challenge and I have a mile to spare. Whew! But if a miss is as good as a mile, a hit is as good as a bullseye, at least in this case.

During the miserable plus 90 degree days I walked in my family room under the ceiling fan with Leslie Sansone and her chirpy pep talks. I used weights and  "firm bands" to get the benefit of some upper body strengthening too. Now...if I can just keep the walking up without the challenge. We'll see. I hope I don't fall back into my sluggish ways. But today I'm celebrating the success of finishing the 100 miles and enjoying some beautiful walks and hikes while I did it.

I can wear my T-shirt without guilt when it arrives! And even if I fall back into my lazy ways, there's always next year to get me back on track.

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!