Monday, October 5, 2009

The PURE JOYS of Walking to the Market!

Hiya Ladies,

I just got back from a 4 mile walk to the supermarket and back.

It was.....delightful!!!

The weather out in Philly today is supremely beautiful...and i had to go to the market anyway...and take a walk...so why not kill two birds with one stone???

Do you all have portable shopping carts? You ought to get one. It is soooo fun. It makes you feel like a bag lady, yet independant...and powerful.

Well, yes, it's kind of a pain in the ass. It turns a 30 mins trip into several hours. But if you have the right attitude, if the weather is lovely, and you have the time, going to the market by foot can fill you with the most wonderful feeling of how life used to be in a time gone by...plus, it's excellent exercise, it's good for the environment and it's just plain adventuresome. AND when you walk home pulling or pushing your cart, you're getting even MORE of a work out from the weight of the groceries.

People used to walk ALOT more than they do now. Everything has become so super convenient that all of the JOY has been sucked right out of it.

Think of all of the places you routinely go by car. Are any of them truly do-able by foot?? Postoffice? Blockbuster? CVS? Coffeehouse?

Cliff and i love to meet at one of the three coffee houses in our neighborhood. After he is done his bicycle ride, he lands at one of them, orders me an herbal tea and himself some naughty treat, I meet him there by way of foot, we enjoy ourselves immensely, cuddle and kiss, and i finish my walk. Today i was blessed in that he followed me to the market after his regular ride, me on foot and he on bicycle. We kissed at every rest stop. Dat's Luv.

Exercise has a way of making us feel more alive, more romatic, more in touch. We are proud of each other. We have good feelings using and moving our bodies. We feel spent. And then we feel rejuvinated. It's a delight for the self...and for the relationship.

When i first met Cliff, I weighed about 80 lbs more than i do now. During the course of our relationship, i was to gain another 100 lbs. Cliff never thought he'd see me live to 45. Now that he sees me buzzing up the hills of Manayunk with a shopping cart, he feels so proud. I love the look in his eyes when he looks at me and kisses me...it's a look of amazement and joy. For all of the effort, for all of the near trips on the uneven sidewalk, for all of the tired legs at first (it goes away quickly), it's worth it just for THAT.

So, take the challenge, and if there is anything to go to that you can get to by foot, get out there and do it. Even if it's just to mail a letter at the mailbox on the corner.

There is nothing better motivating to walk for me than having a GOAL. FIND a goal and walk there instead. Is there ANY shopping nearby? Just get out on foot and shop for fun. Go window shopping if you're broke!

But i always always take money and my phone with me. Money in case i wanna buy a drink or a snack at the fruit market nearby or a cute pair of shoes should i happen to spot one...and the phone for keepin' in touch with my honey. "Where you at?," he asked excitedly. He is tickled when he discovers i'm really far or really close.

It's exciting and alive. It's DOING something. Way better than camping out in front of the TV. You usually feel like crap after watching hours of TV, but after walking, you NEVER feel worse. GUARANTEED to always make you feel BETTER than when you started.

I love to walk to the Salvation Army to shmy around and sees what new cool stuff has come in. It has become my regular route to take. And it's ALL UP HILL to get there. It works those buns and legs really well. And it just feels so EMPOWERING to do. And then if i find a cool find??? OOOh, that really seals the deal. I practically skip home from joy. Last trip i found this blue elephant. I just love that little guy. You see, it was so worth it.
I think at least HALF of the success i've had losing and keeping off over 160 lbs has been due to exercise. You can screw up alot with your food if you move too. You burn it, and the damage is not as great. When your metabolism is revving high, you can also get away with eating a lot more fat and yummy treats. It is so worth it.

Won't you make exercise a part of your LIFE by incorporating it INTO your life?

Next time you walk somewhere instead of driving, do let me know. Get those legs a-movin' and you will SEE and FEEL the difference.

xoxo michelle joy

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