Of power walking and the power of perspective
Remember when people started power walking?
I remember I had a friend back in the late 80s, early 90s, who was a power walker. I’d see her and a lot of middle aged women out there going to town and I’d think, “That will never be me.”
Never say never.
This morning, I got up, had breakfast, and decided that I’d rather go for a walk through my parents’ neighborhood than to stay indoors on the treadmill. It was sunny, 85 (though still inviting for someone who really hasn’t been warm in 8 months), and breezy. I popped my new iPod shuffle in and took off.
The first thing I noticed is that my heart rate was stuck at a stubborn 108. I picked up my pace. When I did so, I threw some arms in and realized that what I was doing looked an awful lot like what I do on the Nordic Trac at home. I then realized, it also looks a helluva lot like — banish the thought — power walking. But there I went, swinging my arms, until my hands were coming about eye level. And after a few minutes of this I caught a flash of my heart rate monitor: 137! Whoa. Exactly where I needed it to be and it took a heckuva lot less time to get it there than it’s been taking at the gym!
I punched up the music and took off.
I highly recommend walking in neighborhoods of strange cities (or, in this case, cities where you haven’t lived in over ten years).
One, it’s fun to look at the houses. I got to see a number of lovely gardens and talk to quite a few tabby and ginger haired cats along the way.
Two, most residential neighborhoods are characterized by rolling hills or slight inclines. This neighborhood was perfect in that I would be going up and down and then level for a minute or two at a time. When I was going uphill, I could drop the arms a little and maintain my heart rate exactly where I wanted it. When I was going downhill, I could bring them back up.
Three, because it was breezy (as in “where the wind comes sweeping down the plains” kind of breezy) it was loud enough that I felt comfortable singing! And, even if they could hear me, no one here knows who I am, so who really cares? Besides it’s hot and most people were indoors with their windows shut tight enjoying the air conditioning.
So, I plotted out a route and stuck with it and after an hour and ten minutes, I had burned 510 calories with an average heart rate of 69%, which, ironically, is about what I burn in a typical spinning class these days! Not so shabby for a morning stroll around the block — well, several blocks.
Power walking. Who would have thought it? But, preconceived notions aside, sign me up. And, as I told my mother, as I came back in and threw myself down on the couch, I love being old enough to not care what I look like. So what if the neighbors look out the windows and say, “Who is that crazy woman out there singing Linkin Park and swinging her arms like a demon?” A fit, firm, and fabulous one, who isn’t putting any stress on her joints and is burning fat like it’s going out of style.
walking in neighborhoods of strange cities will keep the neighbors from complaining about the singing!