She was made for walking: It’s healing and will keep you fit

Some call me the Walking Lady.

Yes, you may have seen me making my way around our lovely town, in all kinds of weather, sporting sensible shoes and carrying an umbrella for sun, rain or snow. In earlier days I was known as the Stroller Lady because of my daily walks with my baby and toddler. He would sometimes fall asleep in the stroller, prompting one passerby mom to ask “How do you get anything done if you’re walking while he sleeps?”

Daily walking has been a part of my life since my teens, when I began going home from high school on foot. I have to give my parents some credit for the habit. We walked to school and church regularly, and family outings often featured a nature walk in one of metro Detroit’s parks.

My decades of walking have taught me many things. Perhaps some of you readers who also walk will be able to relate to my experiences.

Walking has taught me:

I can handle a variety of conditions. People seem to marvel at my stamina in the winter. I tell them that walking in Northwest Ohio — even with our famous wind — can’t compare to walking at 28 degrees below zero, as I did once when living in Minneapolis.

As I bundle up for a cold day I remember my father’s injunction: “No one ever promised you you’d always be comfortable.”

We can all deal with more discomfort than we think. Actually, hitting the sidewalk in the humid summer heat is more of a challenge than cold. Movement warms you, which is handy in the winter but not nearly as desirable when temperatures rise. I walk in snow, rain and heat, and have trod both flat and hilly landscapes. If you walk daily you’ll find there’s very little weather or terrain that intimidates you.

Routine is edifying. I’ve never gotten bored with my walking habit. As a matter of fact, it’s what I build my day around. Without that exercise to start my day I’m not sure what I’d do. Even after knee surgery, when I had to walk with a walker or cane, I felt a need to walk, if only a few blocks at first. Building up my strength and balance gradually was an important element of my healing. Neighbors cheered me on as they saw me navigating through the neighborhood. That sped my healing, too.

Nature never disappoints. My husband and I do explore the Slippery Elm Trail, the Bradner Preserve, and other nature walks in our county on weekends, but even my daily neighborhood walk exposes me to nature’s beauty. Shady trees, seasonal plants, well-tended gardens all refresh my spirit.

What a privilege it is to commune with our natural surroundings each day. Even on a tired or grumpy day watching the leaves change, snow on pines, trees clad in spring blossoms puts things in perspective. Nature will always be here for us to enjoy — and protect.

Solitude is important. Most my walks are solo — and I like it that way. Time alone on foot, in Nature, gives me time to think. Worries fade and anxiety takes a back seat as the steps add up and the exercise endorphins kick in. I enjoy walking with others, but I’d be lost without that daily reflection time. Being alone in nature is healing.

Over the years people have noticed my walking habit. When pushing a stroller I was offered rides, and even once a place to stay for Christmas. I hastened to respond to these kind offers with reassurances that I was not a single homeless mother. I’ve had friends tell me they feel guilty driving when they see me walking.

You feel guilty because I’m compulsive? There’s no need.

Walking is simply my way of structuring my day and staying relatively fit. It’s the exercise habit of the non-athletic.

It seems to me that walking is the exercise mankind is designed for. Homo Sapiens is not only the primate who thinks; he is the creature who stands upright and walks. One could argue that walking makes us human. At any rate, it keeps my feet firmly on the ground. I hope it will for many years to come.