What is your favorite season to take a walk? I have two dogs, so each and every day is a good day for a walk in their world. We walk in the sun, heat, wind, snow, and only if I force them, in the rain. Bladders might explode if they could avoid rain.
Don’t get me wrong, I love walking my dogs. They won’t let me say, “I’m too tired,” or “I want to finish this project.” They pester me until we finish our walk. We rarely vary our route because they enjoy sniffing the other dogs in the neighborhood. However, occasionally, I get my creative juices flowing, and we go a different route.
My mother taught me the love of walking. She and her sister Volksmarched in all 50 states. They participated in tours that bused them to stops where they walked 5K or 10K around a city, usually state capitals. These two characters started this in their 60s and only stopped when nature slowed them down in their late 70s.
Whenever my mom visited us, she wanted me to find a walking path for her to explore every morning. Yes, that did mean I was by her side with the kids, or we would do the walk after the kids were at school. We explored the areas around my many homes, neighboring parks, and state capitals. She loved to walk, talk, and point out birds and trees.
The American Heart Association even sponsors a National Walking Day each April to encourage simple exercise to help with heart health. If my mother were still around, she would be the first to sign up yearly. Besides her love of walking, she believed in caring for her heart. All my grandparents and aunts lived long lives, but she always worried about her heart.
Can I be honest? When my kids were little, I did not prioritize my health like I should have. I took them to the doctor regularly and kept my husband doing his medical appointments, but mine kept slipping off my calendar. Now that my kids are adults, my health has become a priority. I think more about my physical well-being, including doctor appointments, a healthy weight, and more movement.
Since moving more and getting to a healthy weight go hand in hand, I have started walking farther with my dogs. They don’t mind. I have even told people I would love to do what my mom and aunt did. A huge goal is to do a 5K walk in the capital of every state. Maybe I will accept that challenge; perhaps I will do a 2-mile walk in every national park.
This month, will you join me for a walk? Where will you walk?
