Today,  I walked myself into a great mood and boundless amounts of energy.

When Bruce and I arrived in Florida last week, we vowed we’d get in 10,000 steps a day. We brought our handy and oh so accurate pedometer with us and having been tracking our steps.  But truth be told, we haven’t walked that much everyday.  Some days yes, but yesterday, on my birthday, going to a pancake breakfast and then getting my nails done sounded much better than 10,000 steps.

Today, though, we made a pact to get at least 8000 steps in before the Patriots-Bills game. And even better, we invited our niece, Ella, to join us on the walk. Ella is 8 and cute as a button, but she was bummed out this morning because her best friend Andrea got sick last night thwarting their sleepover plans.

I don’t know about you but I can always walk away my troubles with a pair of sneakers and some time outside.  When we left, Ella was slightly reluctant. I could tell she was feeling a bit down about the sleepover but it didn’t take much to get her focused on the beautiful scenery. We walked by her school, we talked about playing hopscotch, why 3rd grade is fun and who her closest friends are.  We skipped down the sidewalk and had a competition with Bruce to beat him and checked out the wildlife.  We picked up pine cones, talked about alligators and sadly, even saw a dead squirrel.

3.5+ miles and 8000 steps later, we arrived home tuckered out but in great spirits.  The skip-walk-run to beat Bruce in our “competition” got the sleepover off Ella’s mind and we all had a great time, laughing and talking all the way there and back. We even managed a little hopscotch on the way home. 

I just love a great walk and this one was one of my favorites.  In the end, I got to be a kid too.  How can I not be in a good mood after this?

Filed under: Exercise, Optimal Health, Pedometers, Walking