Day 45--And the beat goes on...

Change of plans, everybody...the blog's name has been changed to "Walk the 44 Days". Okay?

At least that's how I felt this morning when I was wedged between a hot chihuahua and a warm, strong poodle, their combined weight pinning me down onto the bed like a canine act of civil disobedience. HELL NO! WE WON'T GO!

But then, I realized that it might be the only time today I have to get that leisurely walk in, and I DO love these walks...so I peeled myself from my warm, steamy bed-nest, stretched my dog-smothered legs, and we were off!

And that is how I walk. Leisurely. There is no wacky power-walking during this blog experiment. This is not me on these daily jaunts:

Really. That's not me. My bum is rounder.

Nope, that used to be what I considered healthy walking. Now, after some alignment study and learning more about biomechanics, I know that the above Über-strider is not putting her best foot forward. 

Nope, I walk more like Shaggy, but with better posture:

That's not even two of me. But that's how I walk. Except with funnier shoes.

Arms swinging by my side, in a natural, reflex-driven motion. Not hitching up my shoulders and pumping my arms, nor clenching my fists, nor bending my elbows at my side. I definitely pay attention to my gait when I walk, and my alignment/posture. Not doing so would be silly--the machine should be working right when you run it. Otherwise this happens:

I just read that Paula Deen, an obese TV chef who willingly ate sugar and carbs with abandon for 3 years AFTER she'd been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, has finally lost 30 pounds. Yay! Then I read that she walks a little every day, and "hates" it. WHAT?! For reals, you hate it, Paula? Reading further, I discovered that she still smokes. With Type 2 Diabetes? So, you like your ciggies and you hate walking. Go figure. I had that moronic outlook when I was 16 and had an entire lifetime of body abuse ahead of me--now, I'm more realistic about the housing I was given. It's the only place I have to live. How can she hate walking? That's irresponsible for her to say that in an interview.

Paula, here is your alternative:

Very tasty. Very.

As always, walk today so you can tomorrow, 
Dani
 

Day 34 - Save Your Pennies, You Don't Need Brazilian Butt Lift!

A song for you, to the tune of the Bellamy Brothers "Let Your Love Flow":

Oh, when you're walkin'

You know it feels good

No need for talkin'

Just get out in the 'hood

And let your lymph flow

It don't matter if you

Don't have a reason 

chorus:
Oh let your lymph flow, 

And just let your arms swing

Yes, let your lymph flow

It'll make your heart sing

Stay off the treadmill,

It's not a nat-u-ral thing

It's for stroke vic-tims...

Uh-huh. For reals. Did you know that?

You know that lymph flows best when you're in a natural walking state, arms swinging in a relaxed, reflex-driven motion. 

You might not know why I want you to NEVER walk on a treadmill. 

When you walk outside, you extend a leg behind you (using your gluteal muscle, or butt), and then push off on that leg to take your next step. 

Easy-peasy, rice and cheesy, huh?

But, when you use a treadmill for walking, you don't extend that leg and push off, because the ground is already moving underneath you. You CAN'T push off. You have to LIFT your leg. Which makes you walk more like this:

When you are on a treadmill, you are PICKING UP your leg each time. Instead of using your butt muscles to extend a leg to walk, as nature intended, you are using your hip flexors, which are these:

WHOA! These suckers are already completely overused for the other stuff you do all day! Like this:

And this

And this

And this

And even this

So you want to get on a treadmill and overuse them some more? And under use your B-U-T-T? 

Why?

You want a nice caboose? Get out and walk. 

Can I get an "AMEN"?

A fact you may not have known:

Treadmills--the relative of the kind we use in gyms today--were developed to aid stroke victims who could not walk well (or at all) on their own. It was a device that could help retrain the muscles/brain for perambulation while securing the patient in a safe, upright position. 

Great for stroke victims, but not for you. You are working the wrong walking muscles when you're on that treadmill. You are not promoting proper muscle development. Same thing with running on one, if you feel you must run. 

Personally, I believe we should only be running when being chased by tigers. 

 

Okay, I'm done. 

As a side note, I don't "hate" many things, but I do hate marionettes. Those of you who know me, know that there is little I fear. However, I've had this inexplicable fear of clowns and marionettes ever since I could remember. Recently, I found out that when we'd stay at my grandparents' place, my big brothers used to chase a 4-year old me around the dark, musty storage barn with a CLOWN MARIONETTE, chanting "I'm going to kill you, Dani, I'm going to kill you!"

That explains a lot, I guess.

Don't walk like a marionette today, please.

Dani

Day 29--We don't need no sparkly undead...

Did you know that ninety-five percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D? 

(I'm going to wait here for a second while you think about that number.)

Ninety-five percent.  That's awfully close to 100 %, isn't it? Scary close. 

Why do you think that number is so high?

For Americans. 

Oh. I see. But what about...

Yeah, but ...

Uncle! Uncle!

We are inside. Too much. We don't have a vitamin D shortage because we don't drink enough milk or we live north of the 35-degree latitude line of the U.S. or we live in Forks or poo poo poo poo. 

Yeah, that's right, I said poo on those excuses. Those excuses are one more way for you to delay your well-being.

We have a shortage because we live our lives inside. Inside cars, inside homes, inside offices, inside stores, inside gyms, inside. 

Am I saying you should quit yer job? 

Nope. 

But maybe try and get outside during every second you can, whether for a walk in the morning, your lunch outside on the plaza, a picnic in the park, a weekend flying kites...there are a billion ways to get outside. You need your vitamin D like a donut needs a hole, like an ocean needs the tide...okay, that's stupid, but here's why you do need it:

• Immune system bolster
• Stronger bones and muscles
• Lower risk of cancer
• Resistance to allergans
• Mental health support
• Protection against skin cancer
• Regulates blood sugar
• Pain relief from fibromyalgia and lower back pain

This isn't saying you should go take tons of vitamin D supplements, because that's sort of like throwing bricks at a wall, expecting it to make the wall stronger. 

No, your body needs to synthesize, or make, the vitamin, and the best way for it to do that is to be outside. Outside. It doesn't matter if it's sunny. Go outside. Outside. You don't need a huge, planned trip. Just open your front door and go for a walk every day. You'll feel it, trust me. 

This vitamin D feels AWESOME! So super sparkly!!

Yours in vitamin D synthesis, 
Dani

Day 21 Αριστερό πόδι, αριστερό πόδι, δεξιό πόδι, δικαίωμα!

 I walked today, and it was wet

Did I enjoy it? Yes, you bet!

The thoughts I thought? 

Well, they were good. 

For I was thinking 'bout Greek food! 

My nephew's coming, just tonight.

So, I will feed him up just right.

Moussaka, pita, dolmas, too.

Garlic chicken, tzatziki goo.

Throw in some tempeh for myself

We'll put that hungry on the shelf!

My sweet, superstar nephew is town, and has NEVER been to Chez Hemmat. 
We just found out he'll be on an afternoon ferry. I've got some cooking to do now. Gotta go.

Looky! A heart-shaped puddle, just for you!!

Walk well and eat well today, my friend, 
Dani
 

Day 15- I Let the Dogs Out

The more I do this walking thing, the more I realize that my pooches--Betty, LaRue and Tootie--are getting serious benefits from this little project. 

Day 15, and I realize that the trio of 4-legged mentals that wrassle under my desk while I'm trying to work don't do that anymore. The moronic and annoying play-fighting that gets so loud I can't hear myself think hasn't shown up for a couple of weeks. Hey---that's how long I've been walking! 

You don't need to be a genius to figure it out. Or maybe you do, and maybe I am. Probably not, though. 

LaRue, however, IS a genius. Can't you tell?

I've always known you're supposed to walk your dog every day.  Really, though? They were getting maybe 3-4 walks per week before I took on Walk the Year. They've been along for the journey, and now they are more relaxed, don't participate in the grating pretend dog fights at my feet, and THEY LEAVE ME ALONE WHILE I WORK. 

Tootie's been sleeping through the night. No more pacing across our heads while we snooze.

My head looks so BEEG in this picture...

Plus, Betty, who was getting a little paunchy, has trimmed back down...mostly.

You called me "paunchy"?  I can't even look at you anymore...

So, more relaxed, sleeping better, less fighting and crankiness, trimming down. All from daily walking. Don't have a dog? That's okay. YOU get these same benefits and more when you take daily walks, too. You still have to poop indoors, though.

Good walking today, 

Dani

P.S. Happy Birthday to my Soul Mate, Jeff! You rock. You make me swoon. 
I love you.

Day 10. Day 10!

I walked out the door this morning and immediately got something in my eye. That is never fun, but for those of you that wear contact lenses, you know that the tiniest speck feels as if someone is jamming their sharp thumbnail into your eye socket. It’s rough. I stubbornly didn’t want to go back in and rinse my lenses out, so I sallied forth, one hand cupped over the bad eye as tears streamed down my face.

Needless to say, my walk didn’t begin so well, and even though whatever boulder was in my eye finally fell out, I was cranky. Instead of hearing the birds and delighting in dew on grass, I was stomping along, thinking about bills, debt, how dirty my house was—all unpleasant, and, let’s face it, unhelpful thoughts. 

Fortunately, I caught myself after about 3 blocks. Mostly because it felt bad, and this whole walking things feels good. I noticed the difference.

 

So I shook it off. And my little episode brought to mind a saying I frequently use to help my family—and myself---understand when others might behave in certain ways that don’t work for us. It’s simple in a Forrest Gump-sort of way:

 

Everybody Looks Out at the World wearing Different Glasses. 

 

It’s true. Your frames might be red, your lenses smudged, or you might put on black horn rims with spotless lenses except for one scratch in the corner. Regardless, it affects how you see the world. 

 

Even though someone might have exactly the same frames as you, their prescription is quite different. Your glasses are your belief system. Without it, things would seem unclear, out of focus. 

It doesn’t always mean that you like Janet’s cat-eye glasses on her or your conservative relative appreciates your new titanium frame-less specs. But it is important to remember that we all wear different glasses and it affects the things we do, the things that leave our lips, and how we view the things others say and do.

It doesn’t really make things easier when some jackass is, well, a jackass. But if you remember that his glasses are different than yours, then hopefully you can understand that his or her jackass-ness has little to do with you, and a lot to do with the glasses perched on the end of his nose.

By the way, today is Day 10. Day 10! I don’t think I’ve ever done any form of healthy anything for 10 whole days in a row. You know what? This feels totally doable, and totally wonderful. Anyone can do this.You can, too.

I hope you enjoy these next few days---going to be beautiful out there,

Dani

Day 8-Talking the Walk

Today’s walk was fairly short---I spent all morning at my Exercise Rehab office downtown, trying to wrangle some new scheduling software. It was productive, but I was chomping at the bit to get outside and get my daily walk in. It seems to be a unanticipated benefit of Walk the Year. I can’t wait to walk. Hmm…how ‘bout that?

Since my brain had already worked pretty hard this morning, no brilliant ideas for books or profundities snuck into my head while I strolled. So, I won’t be able to pass any of my Jack Handy-esque Deep Thoughts your way today, but I can teach you something about walking. As in, the actual mechanics of good walking. I think I’ll do this every once in awhile. It’s good for me to verbalize what I know and have learned, and it’s good for you to perhaps learn something concrete about this absolutely perfect form of exercise. 

As long as you’re not on a treadmill.

That’s what I said. Get off your treadmill.

I know, I know, it’s irresponsible of me to dissuade you from exercising, right? Well, what if I told you that the same motion on a treadmill as the one you do outside uses fewer muscles? Wait! Don’t we want more muscles to burn more calories and help keep us in better alignment?

We do.

The “tread” on a treadmill moves in a constant circular motion so that you don’t walk into a wall. Unfortunately, as the “ground” rolls away from you, you’re not using all your muscles to “push off” in a natural gait pattern. You are simply lifting your leg (and using too much of your hip in the process!) and letting it fall again. This strain on your hip flexors, not to mention the complete under-utilization of your butt muscles (which are already seriously under-used due to your desk time), results in other parts of your body OVER-COMPENSATING which leads to…ahem…pain. 

Show Them Roundies Some Love! Get Off Them and Move Better!

Next time you try going it on the treadmill, pay attention to what your body does, and how it feels during and after. Then compare those feelings after a walk around your neighborhood or through the forest. 

For reals. 

I hope you enjoyed using all your muscles on your walk today, 

Dani