Walk On!

I admit it. I'm competitive. If there's a way to get points, I want to get as many as possible. When I was a runner, I was always trying to get a PR. 

In January when my physical therapist told me to stop running because of back pain, I was bummed. "Walk instead" was the recommendation.

Really? Walk? But that's so...  slow! But, like the Type A person I am, I immediately bought myself a Blaze Fitbit and became obsessive with my steps. I get in at least 10,000 steps a day even if it means I'm doing laps around my couch at the end of the day.

It turns out, this walking habit has a lot going for it!

• My back is feeling better than it has in years! And there are a bunch of other health benefits that you get from walking.
• I really have fun discovering new places to walk or hike. 
• Hiking can be as much of an aerobic workout as running. There were some pretty steep climbs on the hike at Lost Maples that I went on last weekend.
• Hiking / Walking Meetups are a great way to make new friends! 
• It's a lot easier to find people to walk with than it is to find people to run with.
• I can get a lot of steps in at work without having to change into gym clothes.
• I can listen to podcasts or audiobooks for much longer than I was able to when running.
• I can talk on the phone while I walk.
• I don't mind when the car is parked far from where I need to go and usually prefer to take the longer route so I can get more steps. (I have gotten lost a lot at the huge USAA site which has really helped my step count!)
• Bolder Boulder was much more fun walking (and playing and dancing!) than it ever was running.
• I can always stop to take pictures or just enjoy the beauty of a scenic spot instead of running past it.
• It's free and easy to get CharityMiles just from walking.
• My FitBit helps me keep track of all the miles I'm walking and keeps me motivated by having those competitive gaming features.

Yup, I'm feeling really grateful that I'm able to walk and hike without getting the backaches I used to get daily.

But I'm very well aware that that may not always be the case.

There was a man on our Lost Maples hike who was having a lot of trouble keeping up with the group. I was very impressed with one of my new friends, Jackie. She stayed with him the whole time and supported him, literally, so he wouldn't fall. While the rest of us were busy getting in our workouts, Jackie was patiently caring for someone who needed help.

If there were a way to earn 'good karma points' Jackie would have won them that day.  It was a good reminder that maybe it's more important to slow down enough to help someone else than to worry about how many steps I'm getting.

Now all I need is an app that gives me 'good karma points' and I'll be all over that!

UPDATE: Look at these kindness apps I just found! Let's go win some good karma points!