Stepping it Up!

The past 49 days have seen me taking part in the 10,000 steps challenge as part of a team in our workplace. My team is coming last but there are mostly admin staff on the team. (Well that’s our excuse anyway).
However, it has placed me in the position of having to focus on exercise every day. This is a good thing for me right now as there is much going on in my life and walking is of great benefit right now.
So the funny thing is just how I get my step count up each day.
No. I don’t cheat (although it wouldn’t be hard with the fickle pedometer that I have).
What I have taken to doing is walking inside the house.
Originally, I was walking outside and all around the neighbourhood but unlike in Game of Thrones, winter has been a long time in coming and we were growing rather tired of the seemingly endless summer in our part of Australia. Heat and I aren’t great friends and the last thing I enjoy doing is go out walking in it.
And so it happened that one week I found myself off work for medical reasons. I still needed to get in my exercise so I planned a route around the inside of my home, plugged in my earphones, set my phone to download a Hay House audio from the recent World Summit and began walking.
Walking around the home may seem boring to many but I assure you that I am beginning to not only enjoy it, but I really look forward to the time each day that I walk. My family have long since gotten over their shock and given up their laughter and now just look up every once in a while or move out of my way as I breeze past them on one of my laps around the interior of my home.

There is much to be said for walking inside the house. For example, I am able to combine my exercise with housework. I place the basket of clean clothes that require folding onto my bed and as I go past, I choose a couple of items and then fold them as I walk. As I pass the room/cupboard/drawer where the item needs to go, I put it away. I have also dusted surfaces in the house, emptied the dishwasher and cleaned the toilets in my travels. Of course, not everything gets done at once and the time taken to complete these household duties takes a little longer but there is much satisfaction to be gained in multi-tasking.

Consider the other benefits of walking inside:

• I can exercise in any weather
• My home is climate controlled
• I can walk at any time of the day or night
• I know I am safe (apart from the few bruises I manage to collect  from bumping into things or taking corners too sharply from time to time)
• If I want to stop and take my shoes off or change my clothes I can
• I can wear whatever I like
• I don’t have to carry a water bottle with me because the fridge is on my circuit
• There are no barking dogs or other animals to worry about (apart from HRH Princess Smudge who gets under my feet if I’m walking at her feed time)
• I can cook dinner while I’m walking
• I’m right here for the family if they need me
• I can stop when I get tired and not have to worry about walking back up a hill to get home

I’m sure there are other benefits I have forgotten to list but I really have to admit that exercise is one of the best things for me right now. Not only am I looking after my physical health but my mental health is better for it also. I plug in an inspirational talk/interview or listen to an audio book and I get my groove on. My mind ticks over and I think of so many things. It also alleviates my headaches a little.
At times my walking has become a means of meditation. I can find so many pluses to walking inside (or anywhere for that matter).

As I finish this post, I look over at the clock and see that the afternoon is slipping away. I haven’t yet walked today and my step count is extremely low for this late in the day. It’s raining and blowing outside and the weather has finally morphed into something resembling winter. I’ve spent the day sleeping and reading so I guess it’s time do something physical.

So here’s to inside walking!! My exercise discovery for the year!