Help in the Search for Walkability

A while back I heard about the website Walk Score and it intrigued me. The basic idea is that you enter your address, and the site calculates a walkability score for you. It maps out your location and whether you're close to things like grocery stores, schools, and parks, and uses that information to determine whether your neighborhood is walkable. It's something I thought about a lot when I was looking for a house, and I think it's a great concept. In practice, though, there seem to be a few kinks to work out. One is how the site categorizes locations; in my case, it considered Orange Julius to be a bar(?). (And apparently, being close to a bar is a good thing.) It also doesn't have a way to take into consideration things like sidewalk availability and how much traffic there is. Where I used to live was an area I considered highly walkable, both because I was close to lots of things and because there were plenty of sidewalks and trails. Yet walkscore.com gave it a low score and called it "car-dependent." Where I live now is pretty walkable too, in my opinion, but it's hampered by a lack of cohesive sidewalks and proximity to a set of busy streets without crosswalks. But the site gives my current location a high score for walkability.

The upshot: despite a few minor flaws, it's a great idea and a pretty good resource, especially if it gets people thinking about choosing where they live based on how easily they can get places by walking. Check out your own address and see what you think.

Five Years Later

It was 5 years ago today that I started on this journey toward a healthier life. I was seriously overweight, with sky high cholesterol, and it was a visit to the doctor (and those scary numbers) that prompted me to do something about all of it. It's been a hard road at times, and not always a straight path. My weight has bobbed up and down, and right now I'm not where I want to be permanently. But I'm nearly 80 pounds lighter than I was 5 years ago, and I think that's something to celebrate. I'm also capable of walking a heck of a lot farther than I did then. That first day I'm not sure I even walked a mile, and today I went for a total of over 5 miles. I've also completed 5 half-marathons, something I never dreamed of when I was overweight.

I did it all one step at a time. And I think all of us who love walking do that every day. One step, then another, until we get where we're going. The journey never really ends, so instead we keep putting one foot in front of the other, walking toward a healthier life.

Fall into Walking

I love this time of year. Without a doubt, fall is my favorite season. Living as I do where it can get pretty hot during the summers, fall to me means cooler temperatures, less humidity, and the beginning of the most beautiful months. As September moves into October, we feel the cooler weather and breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, a chance to be outside without sweating profusely or being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

I believe that fall is the perfect time to get into walking for exercise and better health. In fact, it's when I started walking regularly for the first time. It's been just about 5 years since I started this journey toward an active, healthy lifestyle. To to me, fall is special, because it's an anniversary of sorts, a reminder of where I came from. Fall is also, in my mind, a time for new beginnings. A time to leave behind the hot, lazy days of summer and get outside.

The sunny, crisp days of fall are also perfect for hiking. You can experience the great outdoors with more of your senses. You see the beautiful colors as the trees lose their summer greens and burst forth in a riot of color. You hear the crunch of leaves under your feet, or the snap of branches as a deer runs off in the distance. You smell a campfire off in the distance, or simply the clean and crisp scent of fall. You feel the fall breeze across your skin. And you taste a fresh apple, juice running down your face when you bite into it. (You did remember to bring a snack for the trail, right?)

Fall is perfect for walking. It's comfortable to be outside this time of year, and walking is best experienced outdoors. The temperatures are often perfect: not too hot, not too cold. There's still daylight in the morning or evening before or after the school or work day. All in all, it's a great time for walking. So put on your shoes and get out there already!

Exercise in a Pill?

I heard the recent news reports about being able to avoid regular exercise but still remaining fit by taking a pill. To me, it seemed like I must be reading The Onion; this couldn't possibly be true, could it? But the more I thought about it, the better it sounded. No more early mornings, dragging my tired body out of bed before dawn to go walking in the dark. Goodbye to heavy breathing and a pounding heart. Enough of the red face as I struggle up a steep hill. And farewell to sweating like a pig. (I never was one of those dainty women who glisten.) How great this could be!

Yet even as I ticked off a long list of positives (no more nearly getting run over by eager motorists!), I began to think a little wistfully of things I might miss. No more having the streets to myself, listening to the birds (and an occasional rooster!) I hear when there's less traffic. No longer would I see the sunrise in all its pink and purple glory as I crest that hill. I don't want to say "so long" to the feeling of accomplishment that I've walked more miles before work than most people do all day. And I think I'd even miss the sweat, because it helps me realize how hard I've worked doing something good for my body and my overall health.

Soon I expect to see an article refuting that study, proving that you can't skip the work required to get fit simply by popping a pill. But until then, I'll be content with doing things the old-fashioned way: putting one foot in front of the other and walking my way to health.