I recently wrote an article about my goal of walking 10,000 steps a day for fitness. I walk up and down our driveway several times a day. The driveway is approximately 1/3 mile long. The terrain is flat and trees line the west side so it is in the shade in the late afternoon and evening. I enjoy walking with my dogs but I wanted something more challenging. I guess you could say I wanted a change of scenery.
This morning my husband and I headed north to Huntsville State Park. We decided to hike the 6.8 mile hiking trail. It was a beautiful day. The temperature was in the mid-70s, a nice breeze and partly cloudy. The leaves in the park were turning from green to red, yellow and orange...spectacular views!
We started walking down the trail around 9:30 am. The first mile was wonderful...fresh air, getting in touch with nature, etc. The trail was hilly and there were tree roots growing across the trail. I do not do hills. I couldn't keep up with my husband but I was determined to make it to the end of the trail.
We had been walking about 2 hours when disaster struck. I stubbed my toe on a tree root and fell hard on my right pelvis and side. I heard a cracking sound in my back as I hit the ground. There was one thought in my mind..."BROKEN BACK." My husband heard a loud "Ka-Boom" and came running back to see what happened. I was afraid to move. I have two metal plates in my right leg so I was praying that I didn't break anything else. I slowly started moving my legs and back. I felt some soreness but no sharp pain. I got up and kept walking. I had my video camera and my cell phone in the pocket of my jeans. Unfortunately, I think I killed my faithful video camera. Now I know what will be at the top of my Christmas list.
I walked another 3 miles after I fell. We got back to the vehicle at 1:15 pm so we had been in the woods for 3 hours and 45 minutes. I SURVIVED!
I have to say that every bone in my body is hurting this evening. I learned a valuable lesson from this experience...I need to work harder to get in shape. I can't wait until next time.
This is a picture of my pedometer. A pedometer is an instrument worn by a walker or runner for recording the number of steps taken, thereby showing approximately the distance traveled. I bought it at Walmart for $5.00 and I wear it everywhere I go.
My goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day. This equals approximately five miles. I try to walk at least a mile at a time without stopping to rest. I would eventually like to be able to walk the full five miles without stopping.
I have never been the athletic type. I don't expecially enjoy exercise but I know that it is something that I MUST do. I am reading Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy - Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge. They are very emphatic in stating that a person who is over the age of 50 needs to commit to at least an hour of exercise a day...six days a week.
They state that exercise should be your full-time job after you retire.
I am now 57 years old. I just watched my father die from heart disease at the age of 84. I want to do everything in my power to avoid this fate. Exercise is my priority. I have two metal plates in my right leg so I can't run, jump, skip, stomp or do high impact exercise. I have discovered plenty of things that I can do and I hope to slowly increase the amount of exercise that I do each day.
Do you believe that exercise can slow the aging process? What is your daily exercise routine? I hope you will share some of your exercise experiences by posting a comment on this blog.
