With Bloomsday right around the corner, it seems an appropriate time to talk about walking for fitness in Spokane. While a lot of people think about running Bloomsday and watching it from various locations, an even greater number of people actually walk it instead.

I wanted to talk about walking for several reasons, not the least of which being the health benefits that can come from it.

Walking for Fun and Fitness in Spokane

According to an article I found by the Mayo Clinic, walking can produce the following benefits:

• It’s safe and easy (no practice needed)
• It’s low impact
• It can help put you in a better mood
• It can lower your LDL (or “lousy” cholesterol)
• It can help improve your HDL (or “happy” cholesterol)
• It can help lower blood pressure
• It can help you lose weight
• It can help reduce stress

Personally, walking would be worth it for the reduction in stress alone, but then, I have a pretty full household and it’s a great escape when I need a breather.

The Beauty of Walking in Spokane

The beauty of walking is that you can do it just about anywhere without any major special equipment. A good pair of walking shoes, weather appropriate clothing and you’re good to go.

Another great thing about walking for fun or fitness in Spokane is that you can do it with friends. Walking with friends is actually a fantastic way to catch up on each other’s goings on, get some fresh air and exercise and it’s also a terrific way to measure your stride.

When you are walking for fitness, you should be slightly breathless but not completely out of breath and still able to carry on a conversation. When you hit that point, you know you are walking at a good pace that will not only help burn calories but increase the other health benefits as well.

Spokane Walking Clubs

If you look for excuses to do things with your friends because there’s not enough time in the day (believe me, I am so there with you) then start a walking club. It’s a great reason to get together and you can even bring your kids with you if they’re still at home.

Our moms group at church goes to different Spokane Parks throughout the summer with the kids. Walking through some of the gardens is not only beautiful but refreshing and fun too. Everybody needs some beauty to look at.

If you’re working then form a group that can walk at lunch. Even 15 or 20 minutes of walking every day can be good for you. (Help you detox after your boss drives you crazy all morning!)

If you want to walk and don’t know where to start, find a good personal trainer to help you with your fitness plan. Zach Hunt at Physzique in Spokane is great at helping you work out a plan that’s right for you.

That way, you can start your own walking for fun and fitness in Spokane. Make strides!!

With the onslaught of spring sunshine and the continued effort of my trainer, I am finding myself bitten by the Spokane Exercise Bug…

Are you wondering what that is?  I was wondering myself, until it bit me.

For some strange reason I actually find myself wanting to exercise…on purpose!  So much so that I’ve resorted to interval training on the way to the park with my six-year old and I purposely take the long way.

Spokane Exercise: Am I Crazy?

I must be crazy!  I’ve gone from couch potato to exercise enthusiast in less than two months?  Is that even possible?  The good thing is that I’ll get great benefits from this newfound enthusiasm.

• Feeling better
• Looking better
• Boosting metabolism
• Losing weight
• Setting an example for the family
• Having fun
• Increased energy

Love Your New Energy In Spokane

One of the things I am really enjoying is doing things with my daughter that I used to not do because I just couldn’t muster the energy.  Now I am finding myself keeping up with her and taking her on run/walks to the park.  Any excuse to go outside!

When I was younger I was always outside, I couldn’t seem to get enough of it.  Now I am really starting to love it again. It brings so much joy and gratitude, not only for my trainer but for me as well, for valuing myself enough to make “me” a priority again.

A Long Road In Spokane

It’s been a long and arduous road to finally get to this point, and there are certainly times when I question what I’m doing. (Usually in the middle of a training session with Zach, ha ha!)

Granted, I am certainly not perfect, nor close to my goals, but I am making significant progress in my attitudes and that in itself is half the battle.  Believe me, if I can do this, me a 40 year old mother of five with a former love affair with the couch….anybody can do this! Even you!

I can guarantee though that you are going to need help getting started and there is no one better to help you with that than my trainer, Zach at Physzique in Spokane.  He will help you find your way to getting bitten by your own Spokane Exercise Bug, and support your efforts while you’re doing it.

I love his encouragement and push to do better even when I think I can’t and somehow I always seem to manage.  He just draws that out of you.  The cool thing about him is that he has been there.  He’s done the couch potato thing; he knows what it takes to change and is willing to help you do it.  He wants you to succeed as much (or more, some days) than you do.

Don’t be afraid to take that first step because before you know it, you’ll find it leading to leaps and bounds.