I feel energised

Yesterday one of my co-workers was looking for someone who could fit a pair of shoes they had found in her grandmother's closet that had never been worn, and she asked if I wanted to try them on, and lo, they fit, so she gave them to me. The only pair of athletic shoes I own are some New Balances that have distorted since I tend to carry my weight on the outside of my feet, so these were very welcome. They're Reeboks and pretty comfy.

In celebration of this, I decided to wear them today and go for a walk midway through my day, in that after lunch period when I'm usually so sleepy. Some time ago I downloaded a free exercise and weight application for my phone and although I've been logging meals and weight (and I have lost 6 lbs!), I had not tried the cardio workout feature before.

When you use it, it starts playing music from your phone and then a voice that sounds rather British comes in occasionally, telling you how far you've gone, how fast you're going, and how long you've been walking. You can choose other means of exercise as well, such as running, biking, stationary biking, etc. I walked a mile in 18 minutes around the hospital parking lot and driveways, and the GPS kept track of where I went. I averaged between 3 and 4 miles an hour, enough to break a sweat and get my heart up, walking faster than my normal amble. It's a start.

I feel so much better. The pain in my back and arm went away due to the natural endorphins released during exercise, and my back still feels relaxed and wonderful, even after doing the data entry for the day. I'm just now getting hungry, and I'm eating a light meal of cheese and crackers. My mood is good and the sleepiness I normally have in the afternoon did not present itself at all. I need to start doing this regularly. One thing I may change, however, is I left the hill till the end, although it probably was a good thing, in retrospect, to haul myself up it, as the incline provided a better workout.

So now the plan is to walk as much as I can, weather permitting, and increase the length and speed of walking, at least as best as I can within my break time. I may just repeat the circuit as needed. I started to walk down to the next bus stop when I left work, but someone offered me a ride, and I decided I'd get home much quicker.

My foot gave me just a bit of a twinge here and there, as the shoes pretty much supported my foot.

The key, of course, is to do this regularly. My neighbourhood is good for walking, too, so if it's too hot at midday I could come home and walk a bit when it's cooler. I may not be able to run, but walking is really good exercise, too, and easier on the joints. Wish me luck.