When I started this
fitness quest, I began by walking. When I was in my prime I used to be able to
walk mile after mile and sometimes did. I also used to enjoy running in some 5
and 10 kilometer runs. I was never fast enough to win, but I enjoyed the
running and the occasional t-shirt that came with the entry fee. My current
reality, however, allowed me to walk about one-half of a mile and only if I
didn’t have to climb any stairs beforehand.
Twenty-five pounds later, I’m up to
several miles as long as my cortisone shot keeps my legs from going numb. I’m
trying to find ways to help my back without drugs, but I haven’t gotten that
information yet. I don’t rush my walks and I certainly don’t expect to enter
any races anytime soon. Just a fat man with an iPod, walking alone, avoiding
human contact.
Since I began walking, my blood sugar is
hovering right around 100 on a regular basis. That allowed me to stop taking
Metformin without my doctor’s permission. I’ve also cut all wheat out of my diet
as well as most sugars that I can find. Between the walking and the diet, my
diabetes is under control.
I’ve also gone off my anti-depression
medicine and can really tell the difference if I miss more than one day of
walking. Just this past weekend I didn’t walk for three days and I was ready to
camp out at Dairy Queen for the rest of the day. I love their Blizzards. I
walked the next morning, however, and life was good again. I’m still trying to
find out if it’s my dopamine or serotonin levels that are low. It doesn’t
really matter in the long run, but I’d still like to know.
There are books out there about the
benefits of walking, but the best information comes from my own experience. I
walk to feel better and it works. Losing weight, dropping my blood sugar level,
and getting my brain working are all side benefits. I’d much rather have those
side effects than all the small print ones on my medication bottles. Funny how
getting in shape doesn’t come with warning labels either.
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