Can You Add Some Exercise to Your Day?

This is really painting with a fine brush on the whole premise of eat less; move more; live longer, but I thought it was worth mentioning. I’m sure you can figure out any number of variations on this that apply to your own life. The mental framework may be more important than the physical exertion.

Just as we are always being tempted by tasty caloric treats, ice cream in the summer, chips and candy around the apartment or at the office, we need to focus our attention on similar calorie burning ‘treats’ for our body.

This is the path not taken. Instead of walking up the sidewalk on the right, I veer left and climb up the grassy hill.

Here is one that I use regularly. During the summer, I walk my dog in a park not far from my apartment. I use that park because there are trees which provide shade for us. My little poodle really suffers from the sun. As you may or may not know, poodles don’t shed. That is good news for me who is allergic, but bad news for her because she has no under layer of fur to keep her warm in the winter and protect from the direct sun in summer. In addition, having had skin cancer, I have no wish for extra ‘rays.’ I wrote a Page on Skin Cancer Facts in General and My Three Skin Cancer Surgeries in Particular.

I walk her down Randolph St. which is several floors above the park. After our walk we need to get back up to the street. As you can see from the photo, there is a sidewalk and also a grassy hill. I always walk up the grass. It is a lot steeper than the sidewalk and I can feel the pull and burn in my upper leg muscles as I climb to the top. I suppose it is not more than 40 feet from top to bottom, but it is a nice brief workout for my legs. I can definitely feel the difference in resistance compared to walking up via the sidewalk.

There is also some small personal satisfaction in that after I had done it for a few days, I found that it got easier because I had built up some strength. I enjoy this aspect of it very much.

Be on the lookout for little physical ‘treats’ like this. They don’t burn lots of calories, but they keep your head in the game of good health, moving your body, and they give your muscles some welcome work.

Back when I was in the working world I would get off the elevator a floor or two early and walk up the stairs. This is the kind of activity you can integrate into your day. It works your body and keeps your mind focused on the goal of eating within your calorie budget. Similarly, if you take public transportation to work, get off one stop early and hoof it.

This way you don’t just walk around being a food consumer, but a calorie burner, too. Eat less; move more; live longer.

Tony