Counting Steps
Grandma, you need more steps! Are you like me, needing more steps? All through the winter, my Fitbit would remind me that I needed to fit in more steps before the hour was over. I would get out of my office chair and do a few laps on the stairs or do a bit of cleaning to meet the hour’s quota. My goal was 5,000 or more. My fitness trainer friend, Lisa Garbutt, blogs about keeping active when it seems hard to do. https://fitover40.ca/blog/f/keep-moving
Adding Spring to My Steps
Now that we’re into spring, I need no reminding to walk. At least, so I thought. Almost every day, my grandkids pop by for a visit. Lately, we’ve been doing construction work in the driveway, moving gravel from point A to B, filling in potholes then digging them up again. When we lose interest in this activity, we tour the farm, checking in on the cows, family members, and the machinery. Lastly, we go into Grandma’s house for a visit. A visit requires goldfish crackers, water for Gigi and chocolate milk for Monty, and more farm play with their toys. When it’s time to leave, I wave goodbye to them from my kitchen door.
You Need More Steps
However, sometimes Monty doesn’t want to say goodbye, and so he says to me, “Come walk with us, Grandma, you need more steps.” The little guy heard me say this once or twice when I offered to walk them home. I’d look at my step counter and see that the numbers needed to go up. A roundtrip walk from house to house can add up to 750 to 1,000 steps. These walks are extra special because we sing marching songs as we go.
Gardening
This past week I’ve been gardening. I’m ahead of schedule, not usually having time for this activity until mid-June. But it’s been hot, and the mosquitos aren’t out yet. I’ve figured out how to get more steps in. I use a wheelbarrow for the weeds. The silly part is that I don’t keep it near me, but on the other side of the garden so that I have to walk to it every time I have a handful of weeds. I’m sure this looks silly to the onlooker, but there is a method to the madness. Each round trip to the wheelbarrow adds another 20 steps to my tracker. The bigger the garden, the more steps I make. So far this week, I’ve amassed over 11,00 steps per day by gardening.
Having Fun Walking
I’m down to two gardens awaiting my attention. Once they’re done, I’ll have to find another way of getting more steps in. I know I can always walk with my grandkids to get more steps and have lots of fun.
How about you? Do you have a step-tracker? Do you have a plan for walking that may seem silly to others, but it works for you? I’d love to hear from you.
Happy walking,
Deborah Armstrong is an expert in writing engaging and scintillating romance. For example, in the Davina and Quinn Love series, Deborah Armstrong writes hot and spicy contemporary romance with a touch of country, inviting her readers to experience Hollywood, New York City, and her very own dairy farm in Canada. However, in the Game Changer series, Deborah uses the foothills of Alberta as her setting for her sensual romances. Deborah Armstrong’s books are for you if you love passion, drama, and suspense in your romance stories.
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