Recommended soundtracks:
Walk like an Egyptian by the Bangles
Walk like Thunder by Kimya Dawson
Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves
Walking on the Moon by The Police
It’s birthday-aversary-giving weekend at The Hobbit House. I’m off for a great haircut this morning to kick off my 46th year right. Last night my beloved and I got photos taken in celebration of 25 years of togetherness. The rest of the weekend will be a mix of food, fun, rest and enjoying the beautiful weather.
But friends, the weather is not always beautiful. In our part of Canada we are well into autumn with cooler temperatures and rain. Like. Way more rain than the summer.
It was an arid summer so in some ways I got lax about my outdoor clothing as it didn’t really matter but now it does.
I’ve got amazing cold weather gear that is functional, fits and I like the look of. I know I’ll put it to good use when the snow hits. But, thankfully, it’s not snowing yet.
It is cooler so I picked up a pair of Keen clogs as I stopped wearing my sandals. I love the arch support and fuzzy interior. They are like cute little sleeping bags for my toes.
I’ve got a number of light jackets & sweaters that keep me comfy on my walks. But. Like. Rain gear. I need it if I’m going to keep my step count up in the coming months.
The bar graph shows me a few things. Winter has always reduced my step count. Mostly because I slow down in icy conditions and the time I have for walking is usually fixed. It’s also the weather, hours of daylight and motivation.
The thing I find the most interesting is that my average this year is 7,200. Last year it was around 9,000 steps. Partly this happened because I lost my walking commute but also our puppy, Lucy, could not go for longer walks and we couldn’t leave her alone for long.
That all changed in August as my partner and I re-evaluated our fitness/movement goals. He wanted to increase our daily step count and I was happy to oblige. It started small, adding 1 block to both our 15 minute and 30 minute routes. We then aimed for longer morning walks of 45 minutes to a hour. Our short walks became 20-30 minute walks and before we knew it we regularly got 14,000 steps in a day. It was easy when it’s daylight before and after work, dry and warm.
I’ve been good and soaked a couple times this month and I’m SO OVER IT. So for my birthday I’m picking up some rubber boots with neoprene uppers. No more wet feet!! The trick will be finding ones with good foot support.
I’ve noticed that thanks to the dog needing the walk it’s become non-negotiable. At a minimum we are out twice a day and it has been so helpful. Walking has grounded me in the here & now when my whole self wants to be anywhere but here. I’m grateful for that.
I’ve walked sad, tired, happy, lonely, angry and silly with Lucy & my beloved. It’s helped our bonds, our partnerships and my mental health. So I really need this to keep going, whatever the weather, so I can navigate those life things that I don’t have control over.
Do the changing seasons impact your movement/fitness goals? Does environmental stuff (weather, temperature, air quality) influence the activities you do? I’d love to hear your perspective. Maybe you want to blog about it!
