This month’s goal is pretty simple – get moving!

Now that the weather is finally improving I can get outside for walks and hopefully begin running again!

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Before I get to April’s goal, here’s a recap on the previous months.

I am still incorporating water into my daily routine (see January 2019 Goal), but I have been slacking a bit. I’ve been drinking my H2O – with the added diet coke and iced tea thrown in there as well! I have also been drinking a lot of tea (which isn’t terrible), especially at the end of the day!

Moving forward, I am continuing to drink (cocktails) in moderation. I know my February 2019 Goal was not a success, which is disappointing, but I definitely don’t go overboard on the sauce! A glass of wine or weak cocktail here and there is not a drastic intake of alcohol by any means!

My spending freeze has been relatively successful! I have managed to avoid online shopping for the month, but expenses have persisted. Of course, with all the shopping I did in February, the bills were due to be paid in March. So I’m planning to continue my shopping halt through April as well!

We had a few unexpected expenses this month (of course) and that certainly hurt my challenge! We needed some repairs to one of our vehicles and I needed new eyeglasses. I did get my hair done this month (self care is very important), but otherwise my purchases ceased.

On to April!

Winter has really sucked this year! I have to admit that I’m a fair-weather exerciser (for outdoor activities of course), though I have run during the winter months in the past. However, this year was a bit funny! The temperature really didn’t dip too excessively, but the ice and water accumulation we’ve had is certainly not ideal running conditions (even with spikes)!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I have a desk job, so physical activity is a must for me to help counteract sitting on my ass all day! Also as I’ve mentioned, I have gained an excessive amount of weight recently, and I really want to drop a few pounds (like, 25 pounds!) in order to feel better and have more energy.

When I’m eating well and running, that’s usually all I need in order to reduce the number on the scale. But I want the effects to last, so I’m committing to be active each and every day whether indoors or out.

Let’s put running aside for right now and talk about walking. Walking, in itself, has many health benefits.

• Improved immune function
• Reduce stress
• Increase productivity
• Helps burn fat
• Prevents heart disease and cancer

These health benefits can be achieved with as little as thirty minutes of walking per day.

These health benefits can be achieved with as little as thirty minutes of walking per day.

Like most folks nowadays (I know, that makes me feel old!) I wear an activity tracker. I bought the Samsung Gear Fit 2 a few years ago and it hasn’t let me down yet! I realize that you shouldn’t take fitness trackers for gospel, but I really do find that this devise helps keep me on track throughout the day (work day especially).

My tracker will vibrate after sitting stationary for 50 minutes. This is extremely helpful since the time passes rather quickly while seated at my desk working on the computer all day.

The gentle nudge to get moving again is such an important benefit, since desk jobs are bad for your health. It is found that sitting can be as bad for your health as smoking! An article I recently read stated that sitting has been deemed a disease! This is more than a little scary for me (and everyone with a desk job) since I do really love my job!

Hence, the increase in walking (at least) on a daily basis!

In order to make my daily step target (which is set right now to only 6000!) I walk my daughter to school and then proceed to work. I walk the production line at work and will also take a break at lunch to get some fresh air when my schedule allows. At the end of the day – I walk home.

The plan is to increase my step target each week in order to reach the recommended 10,000 steps per day!

I do enjoy a little stroll in the evening and my daughter often wants to get out after dinner for a walk or bike ride, which works for me! A bit of mother / daughter time along with some physical activity!

My plan is to gradually increase my walking and begin running again. Baby steps! There are so many apps out there that will ease you into running with their training programs!

No matter what fitness level you’re currently at, walking is something everyone can do – and reap the amazing benefits from!

Next Month – Nutrition