Lexington, KY - Spring, what a wonderful thing. The time for re-birth, rejuvenation, a new look on life. Even more than the New Year, spring is the time that I see to "turn over a new leaf" and get on a healthier lifestyle plan.
Actually, many other people must think the same way. Spring is consistently one of the busiest times in the fitness business. Many people take the plunge now, in the spring, to hire a personal trainer, join a gym, go on a diet, etc. Maybe it is because the sweaters are put away and the shorts and short sleeve shirts come out and we see what has happened to our bodies over the long, dark winter.
Whatever motivates you is fine, whether it's just the energy of spring that makes you want to get moving again, or the fear that arises when you look in the mirror. The point is that now is one of the best times to set new goals regarding diet and exercise and make a plan that will lead to success. Moving more and eating less (and better) are what most of us need to do, but without a plan, it isn't likely to happen.
I would like to focus on how you can use your own neighborhood, city and region to help you both increase your exercise and improve your diet. There are several tools right out your door that can help you achieve your goals of moving more and eating healthier (and less).
First, moving more. It's a fact that we all should be taking about 10,000 steps a day for optimum health. At 2,000 steps a mile, that's 5 miles of activity every day. Remember, that is total activity, not just exercise. It's not as hard as you think. Many of you would be surprised how many steps you take on a busy day where you are running errands, cleaning your house, doing yard work and cooking dinner. It's just that most of us do not move like that every day; many of us sit most every day and only once a week or so really move from sun up to sun down. So, unless you are going to take up a life of manual labor, you are probably going to have to do some formal exercise on most days to reach your goal of 5 miles of activity per day. However, getting on a treadmill does not have to come into the picture, if you don't want it to.
Here are a couple of ideas to get you Chevy Chasers moving:
Walk the path at the UK Arboretum. This path is 2 miles all the way around. It's a lovely walk, especially in spring, before the temperatures get too hot. However, all summer long it's wonderful in early morning or evening.
Walk downtown for dinner or a movie. From the heart of Chevy Chase, it's about 1.5 to 2 miles to Broadway. There are several wonderful eateries downtown, as well as the Kentucky Theatre. Nothing is better after a meal (or a bucket of popcorn) than a nice, slow walk in the pretty spring weather.
Check out the race calendar at John's Run/Walk Shop. You can find a 5K (3.1 miles) event almost every weekend from spring through fall. Many participants in each of these events are walkers just participating for the exercise. An added bonus is that many of these events are in charming communities that are wonderful to explore after the race and help make it a good outing for the whole family.
Start or join a walking/running group. Several groups meet at John's Run/Walk Shop or near Starbucks almost every day and run or walk anywhere from 2 to 10 miles. These are all friendly groups that welcome new people. If you don't want to join an existing one, start your own. If you need help making up routes of different distances to walk, then go to the Web site www.mapmyrun.com. This free site allows you to draw any route and it tells you exactly how far it is.
The other element to focus on is better eating. This is getting easier and easier, and you can even combine the quest for healthier food with exercise. How? Walk to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings. It's right downtown in Cheapside Park and is quite a happening place. Our farmer's market has really evolved. You can find a great variety of fresh, locally grown produce, and the selection of locally raised, grass-fed beef and other meats is growing, too.
Getting your produce at the farmer's market is a great way to get you eating better and eating fewer calories. Having the fresh fruits and veggies in your home always encourages you to actually eat them. If you eat one or two more meals at home a week because you don't want your fresh produce to spoil, then you will most likely eat less calories. Meals prepared in restaurants often have more calories than those we prepare at home, due to portion size, side items (such as bread), and heavy use of butter, oil and cream. The more you cook at home, the more control and awareness you have over what you are putting in your mouth.
Another option is to become a share holder in a local farm. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great thing; you buy a "share" of the farm (a yearly fee) and the farmer brings you (at a drop off location) a basket of what the farm produced that week. I love this and have done this for several years. You never know exactly what you are going to get in your basket, but that makes it fun. You get to experiment with cooking things you may have never seen before. Often the farmers give you recipe suggestions for the food they bring you that week.
If you are strictly a grocery store person, you can still improve your eating by shopping at the stores in town that have a wide variety of local and/or organic produce. The big chains have some things, but the smaller specialty stores and our local co-op have a bit more to choose from.
Take the time now to make your plan for both increased movement and better eating. Use the resources of your own community to help you do this successfully. It's out there for you, but you have to engage. Be a willing participant in your own healthy lifestyle; take control and feel better.