Can you believe this is the final day of the 4 Week Walk for Weight Loss?!
In one way, those 28 days seemed to take forever… but in another way, they just flew by! And I like it that the program ends with a good long steady walk.
It was a wonderful hour on the woodland trails, birdwatching and admiring the colorful autumn leaves and thinking about what’s been accomplished here this month.
Here’s what walking has done for me:
First, it has been empowering!
For whatever reason, I normally find it hard to sustain any daily program for any length of time — so the fact that I was able to follow through on this entire walking program is a real accomplishment for me. It’s good to feel like a winner!
5 – 10 minute warm-up
45 – 60 minutes walk at level 6
5 -10 minute cool-down
stretching
Second, there are the physical benefits.
I’ve dropped more than 10 pounds just by going for a walk 6 days a week. I’ve had to start buckling my favourite belt on one knotch tighter, with more than an inch off my waistline… And there’s just a lot less “jiggling” all around, if you know what I mean!
There’s no doubt that my overall fitness level has improved. I find that I can keep up a physical activity for longer without getting tired or out of breath — whether that activity is raking leaves or walking the dogs or cleaning the house, whatever.
Third, I’ve found that regular exercise is a brilliant stress reduction method, and helps me to “stay on the sunny side” when Life starts throwing up obstacles and frustrations and worries…
As we head into the colder weather and darker days of the year — a time when many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression — it’s good to have a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-do remedy at hand! There’s just something about getting out for a brisk walk that clears the mind and raises the spirits…
Would I do a fitness walking program again?
Yes, absolutely.
I’m not sure that I’d follow this exact same walking program all over again, because I do like variety — part of what kept me going through this was the fun of looking to see what the “walking task” for each day would be — but the daily walking? Oh, yes!
Congratulations on finishing, and sticking so closely to the program! It’s great that you lost ten lbs in the process.
I, too, was fairly sporadic in my participation, but I am exercising occasionally now and that’s more than I was doing before!
Don’t you just hate it when Real Life gets in the way of good intentions, Neen? But as you say (and I heartily agree), “more than before” is a step ahead… Glad to hear you’re making some healthy changes, as we want to keep you up & around and blogging for a long time to come!
Yes, I do think I’ll keep walking — at least 5 days a week, anyway — mostly because it’s sooooo good for clearing out a cluttered brain!
Congratulations! 10 pounds is awesome! Unfortunately, my participation was quite sporadic. I just couldn’t carve out the time every day. But through your 4 week walk I found inspiration. I am eating healthier food and I am squeezing a walk in whenever I can, which is more than what I was doing before. So, Jen, do you plan to keep walking now that the 4 weeks are over?
Just because I’m so darned fond of you, Pinhole… feel free to keep that little extra padding that I dropped. Could be a long hard winter, you know, you might need it!
Don’t worry, you didn’t really lose anything. I found those 10 pounds, in case you ever need them.
Congratulations.