OPINION: Feet don’t fail me now

Sixty degree weather! Oh joy! For now.

Let me tell you, this weather has been better for my mental health than just about any medication. Fresh air, the promise of summer and my own eagerness to get baseball season started already has infected my body with joy. But until then, I’m happy enjoying my walks.

As a part of growing up and trying to reduce my weight, I’ve been trying to fit at least 30 minutes of walking every day. It’s been extremely easy to do this over the past few days.

I actually have a goal this year; in June, I’m headed to Hawaii with my family. It may be silly, but traveling to a place I’ve never been, I want to look my best. It’s been tough in this indefinite waiting period with winter cold, but starting up now I’ve felt better than ever.

For anyone who’s read this column since I began working at the CNA two years ago, I’ve been trying to lose weight for all two years. Really, I’ve tried to lose weight for almost all my life. The closest I got was in college where walking was the only consistent way to get to point A to point B.

At this point in my life, I just want to feel healthy. Reducing caffeine, eating healthy, hydrating, light daily exercise. Many ways to get there, I just need to build the discipline. After two years, I’m painfully aware of how it looks when progress seems to be a circle, but I still want to try. Effort is better than ambivalent pessimism.

Living in Afton, I’ve taken advantage of the walking trail which loops around the east side of town near the East Union school building and the fairgrounds. This trail, even as a simple loop, rules. Tons of natural air and the (as of now) undeveloped land to the east of the fairgrounds makes the sky and faraway prairie a great view.

I’m not quite at the point where I’m traveling to places just for the walk, but I did grow up in a family that loves national parks. When summer’s truly in swing, I’m excited to revisit the Afton Lake or Green Valley.

I’ve realized recently I’m more likely to succeed at something when there’s an easily achievable goal. Losing weight isn’t going to happen in a single day, so how do I make exercise achievable when the goal can’t be grasped in the now?

With walking, the time necessity helps (especially since the loop I take is an exact 30 minutes), but I’ve also figured out something else. For some variety, I walked to the Afton Casey’s and got myself an energy drink, then walked back home.

It’s very silly to write it out, but I believe I figured out a solution to the goal problem. Having a little reward halfway through the walk which I can enjoy while walking is a game changer for me. It provides motivation to get past the first half (actually getting started) and makes the walk back relaxing.

All good, then. Now, hopefully if the weather continues, I will wake up, put my headphones on and take my little walk. Headphones are such a clever invention, aren’t they?

Nothing beats listening to music while walking. Or a podcast. Or an audiobook. Something which distracts from the monotonous. If I’m taking the same loop day in day out, these headphones become the only variety of the activity and are essentially a requirement.

Fun story, while listening to a comedy podcast while on my walk, I had to fight from bursting out laughing while passing someone else on the sidewalk. Scrunching my face up and trying to frown while my face muscles twitch into a smile, I’m sure I looked insane.

Music can provide a useful rhythm to walk, but more than once I’ve had the urge to just start dancing as I’m walking. I think I’m either over-caffeinated or I’ve lost my mind, but I really hope everyone has that instinct.

I’ve tried to push it, little spins here and there, my hand bouncing to the rhythm no one else can hear. I don’t think I’m going to start twirling around anytime soon (I’m not that confident), but I’ve been positively overwhelmed with a new feeling entirely unique to walking.

As someone who’s seen a lot of movies, dance happens to be the best way to show unspoken joy in movies. I think of recent, non-musical movies like the Danish “Another Round” or “The Life of Chuck” where seemingly normal men in tight suits suddenly burst into dance for no other reason than the rush of joy they feel in that moment. That joy is always shared with the audience.

I just hope the weather stays nice enough to enjoy it.