Day 6 Saturday morning walk

Day 6 ... and we are out the door to walk with our Walk On Strong group! 

One of my favorite group pictures!

I have a bit of a sore foot this morning so I am missing the 14K walk at 8 a.m. Dave and I are heading out for 6 K with the 9 a.m. group and then to breakfast and great coffee. Saturdays have been like this for over 7 years for my husband and I ... walking with a wonderful group of friends every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning.  There are lots of other activities that could keep us busy on a Saturday morning but these walks have helped us stay on track with our health goals and be connected to community in so many ways.

If you live anywhere near Waterloo Region in Ontario .... come and visit us some Saturday. I am starting a new weekly blog for the group and I will post it here soon.  It will give people details as to how and where to join us and other activities that are going on in the area that members might be interested in.

Keep on Walking Strong!
Sue

Day 4 Walking in the winter ...has its challenges

Day 4 .. and walking30 everyday ... or dancing.
 

Yes ... there is the rare fall ... this was one!

FACT: Every winter in Canada we have cold weather, snow, wind and occasionally slushy, rainy, yucky weather too!  I can not count how many times I have heard the remark/question, "You walk in the winter?!".  It seems that we, as a society, have a fear of winter walking. I know that even if you are worried about winter falls, which are a real possibility, there are ways to get that 30 minute walk into your day even on the worst days that winter throws at us.

Our walking group goes out onto the streets every Tuesday night ... in the dark ... and every Saturday morning unless there is an ice storm or a downpour ... for some even a downpour won't stop them!  The magic is in the group ... when you have a group to walk with on a winter night you feel safer and you have people around you to walk and talk with ... nothing makes a walk go faster!

You must be prepared to enjoy a winter walk. On cold dark winter nights we use lights that hang on the zipper of our jackets or something reflective to increase our visibility ... some people use walking poles to give them stability on the snowy streets and others use special gear that attach to their shoes that dig in to the ice and snow. We all dress in layers to keep us toasty and there are lots of special types of head gear that cover your face when the wind whips up. If you are comfortable, stable and visible you are a happier walker.

I have to say that I enjoy winter so much more now that I walk my way through it! Yes, I have had a couple of falls ( really only 3!) in the 9 years we have been walking but I think the fact that we have been walking almost everyday for all those years has made it possible for me to get back up with a smile on my face.

There are times when life is so demanding and the weather so challenging that a walk outside is more that you can make happen. When I don't have time I multitask ... yesterday I made my walking and moving happen on the dance floor. I teach my Chance2Dance class on Wednesday nights so on Wednesdays, if I don't get my outside walk, I know that I am going to move for an hour.  It isn't a walk30 but you can dance at home or climb the stairs or do an extra few laps around the mall when you are Christmas shopping.

That's it for today but I am going to post this blog on FaceBook and see if there are other suggestions from other walkers as to how they get there 30 minutes of movement into their day during the dark and cold days of winter.

In the meantime ... have fun and ...

Walk On Strong!

Sue