In the past 31 days I have done a LOT of walking, and a lot of thinking about walking and how amazing it is for your body, mind and soul.
Wouldn't this location inspire you to walk every day!!??
We are in Progreso, Mexico for the winter. Yes it's hot and yes there is no snow. I do not miss the winter one bit. I miss a few things: my family, my house, drinking water straight from the tap, having a vacuum cleaner and all my small kitchen appliances/conveniences. However the beautiful weather and the ocean just steps from our door offsets those little inconveniences.
The one thing I don't miss is having a car! It is surprising how quickly one gets into the routine of walking literally everywhere. Here's a typical day: get up crazy early and walk 20 minutes to the pickle ball courts. Play for 2 hours. Walk 20 minutes home. Have coffee & breakfast (usually involving yummy fresh mango). Walk 20 minutes into town and walk from market to market to stock up for the day. Walk home. If we are going out (there are a lot of activities here such as cards, darts and live music) add another 10-30 minute walk one way. Adding that all up, a day can involve anywhere from 60 minutes to 2 hours of walking!
Walking is an exercise that almost everyone can do and the advantages are truly amazing. Walking benefits bone, heart, muscle and joint health and weight loss. It helps with your sleep, immune system, mental health an can boost creativity. Not bad for an essentially free activity that you can do almost any time anywhere. A good pair of shoes is your basic equipment (although I confess about 1/2 my walking here is done in sandals). I know the weather in Canada is cold and snowy, making it a little harder to get out the door. Have you heard the phrase "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing"? It's so true! Layer up and get going. You'll reap the added bonus of feeling so proud of yourself for conquering the elements. Believe me I have walked and run in the most miserable, cold windy wet snowy weather and I survived to tell the story.
The mental benefits to walking are immense. This is a great article about the healing effects of walking. If you need to listen to music or a podcast then go for it (I often do). However just thinking and observing your surroundings is beneficial and can be meditative.
A couple of years ago I wrote about "finding beauty in everyday things", and from that decided that I would find one simple thing a day that made me smile or appreciate the gorgeous world around us and share a picture. This is a great way to change your head space. Having a bad day? Go for a walk and focus on finding something interesting, beautiful or inspiring. I'm putting the challenge out there and will share a pic daily on social media. Believe me this could be challenging as the area of Mexico we are in is....let's say "not fancy". It is "real Mexico" and the environment can be a little rough. It is certainly not the standard we are used to in Canada. How about you? If your activity level needs a little boost, how about trying a daily walk and sharing something that catches your eye?
Here's my first one -- one of our fave produce markets in Progreso. Isn't it gorgeous??!!
Happy February! Pat xo
Pat, the pic of the fresh produce is a beautiful sight!
I agree with you, walking is free and it is so good for us. I love that you don't have a vehicle where you are, so you have no option but to use the cheapest, best mode of transportation: Your feet/legs.
I do wonder though, how do you play pickleball for two hours before breakfast? I would be dead without some fuel in my belly. :)