Image: mrsgooding

Not a weekend goes by that our little family (and extended relatives and good friends) go for a short drive somewhere to walk and discover trails in New Zealand that we call home. Walking for me is a much better past-time then spending it all day at the mall.

Walking is also good for your health (and your purse!) and this activity is something we would like to pass on to our daughter. We like to see that she gets a good balance of indoor and outdoor activities for her health and mind stimulation.

She’s not into walking much but once she gets started, she likes knowing what the various trees, plants and birds that she sees. Good thing her Dad knows the vegetation and bird species that we see around us

After our walk, we always end it with a quick detour to the ice cream shop as our reward.

What about you? Do you like walking as well?

Post from: Blisstree

Walking as a Family Activity

Walking is a great exercise for just about any fitness level or age. The weather here in the Midwest has been cold and snowy, but with exercise DVDs like this one you can still get a workout in. More than that, since I started working out at home I’ve given up my gym membership. I hated driving to the gym (which was about 20 minutes from my house). It was like spending an hour driving to a place to work out when instead I could just pop in the DVD and be done working out in an hour! A much better option I think!

Image: sxc.hu.

Post from: Blisstree

Winner of Walk Slim DVD

In reading her shape up secrets, I saw that to lose the majority of the weight she simply walked 10,000 steps a day. That’s the equivalent of about 5 miles. To give you an idea what the rest of us usually walk, one site says that a “sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day.”

To find out how many steps you usually walk, start wearing a pedometer every day. Do things like park farther away from the store, get up to take a quick walk in between projects, walk over to another person you work with rather than send an email. In short, just move a little bit more. Don’t try to do 10,000 steps right out of the gate if you’re only do a few thousand to start with. Gradually add a few hundred week by week until you get to your target.

It’s also a good idea to go at things slowly. Valerie says she lost the weight in nine months. That’s just over 4 pounds a month! Make slow and steady changes that will last, rather than a quick fix. Remember, you’re aiming for better health, not just a thinner body.

Image: splashnewsonline.com

Post from: Blisstree

Walk 10,000 Steps a Day

To show you just how easy it is to walk for your health, the American Heart Association has started a National Start! Walking Day. The day is April 8th, and you are encouraged to participate!

The movement has a website with loads of great information on getting your coworkers involved as well. Wouldn’t it be great to go for a walk at lunch instead of sit and complain about your job? You don’t need a lot of time to do this, either. The site says that ” just 10 minutes three times a day to walk will help you live longer. In fact, studies show that just one hour of vigorous exercise will increase your life expectancy by two hours.”

Why not commit to a healthier lifestyle and join others who want to do the same? Mark your calendar for April 8th, and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

Image from www.sxc.hu.

Post from: Blisstree

National Start Walking Day

For me, I love to walk.  Since I live in a colder climate, I like having DVDs around so I can keep up my exercise routine without having to go outside.  The DVDs I use most frequently are by Leslie Sansone.

Leslie has generously donated a few DVDs to us for giveaway items, and I have one for you to win today!  It’s the Walk Slim 4 Fast Miles DVD.  That’s right, four miles of indoor walking for your exercise pleasure!

Here’s a sneak peak of the DVD:

Doesn’t that look like fun?  I actually have this DVD so I can tell you it is.

Would you like to win the Walk Slim DVD?  Just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, March 29th.  I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day.  Good luck!

Post from: Blisstree

Win a Walk Slim DVD

Someone once told me that I seem to attract the down-trodden, the emotionally askew, and the slightly psychologically un-hinged.

I’m not sure how true that is, but I have had acquaintances with a fair number of folks who could have used an afternoon with Dr. Phil.

Such is the case of with the young woman who walks my dog a couple of times a week. She’s been taking care of him for several years…and she describes him as her son.

She’s married, has a homelife of her own which she needs to attend to, yet she’d rather to be at our house, then at hers…she’s even stayed overnight with the dog when my husband and I have gone away.

And I know she’s used our dog as the excuse to not be with her husband…they have issues. You can just hear their discussion…can’t go to the beach with you, I haaave to watch The Dog. They need me to watch The Dog.

Part of the problem is that because of a horrible accident, she has back problems and can’t really work…so the dog-walking money — albeit a teeny amount — helps at least with her groceries (although I suspect it’s used for beer.)

Anyway, she’s a sad and lost little soul who I feel I need to comfort and help somehow. Is that wrong? Am I an enabler in some way, by allowing her to use my dog and my life as a crutch, rather than encouraging her to get her own life in order?

Wait until my hubby hears that she would like to spend even more time at our house, cleaning it!

Post from: Blisstree

The Dog Walker Who Needs A Lead.