Good morning, again!
As we have broached December, in the midst of COVID, the indoor walking discussion is growing louder and louder. If you’re really, really quiet...you can hear it.
While many want to layer up (that newsletter around the corner) and take a bite out of winter, others will opt for the cozy laps around the fireplace in the their fuzzy socks.
Shall we?
The enefits of walking inside
a) Usually 65-72 degrees, just perfect
b) No cost, yes, like outside
c) No COVID , pretty safe outside as well
d) Increase your creativity - a lot of people working at home looking for ways to impress their boss.
If you believe in me. If you believe in us? If you want the world to be a better place? Here’s how I recommend you make a real ‘go’ at it.
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Record your steps. For me, 100%. Caters to my self-competition. I need it. Many of my successful patients have some way of recording their steps. Here are some great options just in time for the Holiday Wish Lists. The other less preferable approach is just counting your own steps and keeping that number in your head. That would be super hard, especially if you're walking while you’re on the phone. So hard! Plus, if the wrong person finds out about it, they may call you and when you pick up they’ll just shout 739! 1422! 2641!! - anything to confuse you. I would just to get a step counter.
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Set a goal. As a cardiologist, I’d love to see you at/over 7500 steps a day. If that sounds like CrazyTown, fine. No problem. Start where you are and look at improving 10% week. If you need math help? bryan@walkwithadoc.org. The cool thing coming out of the most recent Physical Activity guidelines (Page 6 ;)) is you no longer need to accomplish your steps in 10 minutes spurts or more (2008 Guidelines), it all counts!
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Get an energetic walking video like from our friends from Walk At Home. I don’t mean to brag, but I kind of know them. Seriously, I do. Great people and tons of followers.
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Fold in the stairs (like ‘folding in the cheese’ for Sch***’s Creek fans). Do you have any idea how good stairs are for you?
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Walk around when you are on a call. Look at your watch at the start of the call 2,100 steps. Lose yourself in the call, look down, 4,739 steps. Happened to me yesterday.
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Ew David, enough. This feels monotonous. Well, then I recommend going out to your mailbox in your t-shirt/shorts and flipflops. After your polar plunge, you will RAPIDLY develop a DEEP appreciation for indoor walking. You’ll be the HAPPIEST indoor walker on the whole street. You’ll quickly become satisfied walking around your closet for 30 minutes after you get that mail.
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Treadmill? Of course.
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Not convinced. You want to spice it up? Take the show on the road. Drive to the local mall. Nothing says ‘sexy’ like mallwalking. With those long, juicy stretches you’ve just registered for the marathon of indoor walking. Look, I do it, and I love it. So there. Just wear a mask until the bug is gone.
- Be inefficient - typically when we get back from the grocery and we have 11 bags (of mostly avocados) in the back of our car? Rather than grabbing 6 in one hand; 5 in the other and pray the bottom doesn’t fall out? Make 11 trips. Step, step, step, step, step, step. Same holds true for laundry, etc.
David, my G-d! Chill out, why are you doing this?!
Seriously? There’s a BIG reason we do this crazy stuff. Have you seen how good I look? Actually, there are 100 reasons we do this. To make it simple, walking is BY FAR the closest thing we have to the Fountain of Youth. Combine that with a primarily plant-based diet?
Shoot, man.
I’ll see you in a couple hundred years - you could live forever.
And a reminder, there are 2 paths here the immediate and the delayed gratification:
Immediate = more energy, more self-esteem, more creativity, more positivity, more libido (hubba hubba)
Delayed grat: less Alzheimer’s, less heart disease, less stroke, less arthritis, less cancer = less doctors.
Two paths. Two amazing paths.
And, it’s free.
Peace out, my brothers and sisters.
david
