Thursday July 09

Just walking the dog!

Many fitness experts can't say enough about walking. Most of us just don't engage in any serious amount of walking. One friend of mine says that he takes a long drive after a big meal. That about sums up the prevailing attitude towards walking. Why walk when you can ride?

The simple answer is that it's good for you. Walking is a low stress cardio-vascular workout that also works your muscles and joints from the hips down. My pal Tony recently began taking his dogs for a short walk every evening. The short walk has evolved into longer and longer walks, sometimes lasting hours and covering miles. He says he enjoys the sense of adventure as well as the feeling of well being. The walks are taking him far afield of home, often into rural wooded environments where he encounters raccoons, squirells, and a host of birds. He's also meeting some interesting people hiking the same trails that he is. At 62 he's as thin and strong and healthy as he was when he was in his twenties.

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones in a 2008 interview in Rolling Stone magazine said that one of the most influential people in his life was his grandfather Gus Duprey. He would take young Keith for a walk and not come home for three days. They would visit friends, go to a violin shop and watch violins being made, sleep in the park, and have spontaneous and fun adventures. Such a large part of most of our lives is a boring, carbon copy of the day before, routine. Get out, breath, walk and see what you find. You may be surprized!

If the wonderful world of walking is not an option for you due to joint pain in your ankles, knees, or hips, take a look at the remarkable organic products for joint pain relief on my website: http://www.shaklee.net/freedomshack

Until next time. Be well!