Dear Walk Friends,
Here's a puzzler you'll quickly solve.
Since moving from a mid-sized city on the west coast to a huge metropolis in the midwest, I've lost pound a week for the past eight weeks. The new city has lots of changeable temps and frequent downpours--most of which I've been caught walking around in. What a contrast to the west coast 'sunshine-everyday-from April-through-December' environment. My eating style hasn't changed one bit but last weekend I had to revisit the 'big box store' and exchange unworn size 16 Dockers for the next size down. Yesterday, I threw away my only pair of jeans because, even after cinching with a big belt, they were just way too baggy for me! What's happening?
Since we ain't Car Talk (program home of NPR's famous Weekly Puzzler kings), I'll go ahead and share the answer right now...I've been walking much more!
Why I'm Walking More (and Liberating Pounds)
:: public trans :: I believe the city's public transportation system is extensive, efficient, convenient, accessible, reliable, safe and affordable for me therefore, I use it. This has boosted my activity level (the sheer number of things I do) and, obviously, helped me expend more calories.
:: city layout :: Instead of driving from one place to another, I make a plan and consolidate chores or recreation. When I need groceries, office supplies and discount shoes--there's an area where I can walk from markets to stores and find all three. Mostly, destinations are geographically close to each other so this approach seems natural and logical.
:; parking fees :: Sky-high rates are nothing new but combine this with the cost of gas and you've got the case for public trans+walking, especially to downtown.
Long story short, I used to take a car all over town and so did nearly everybody else I knew on the west coast. (Bus grrrl and a handful of others are the exceptions). Sure, there was my good friend Bus Grrrl, a ton of wildly popular recreational walk groups, incredibly fit people of all ages who could hike for days on end, and a cool cadre of bike-to-workers but the pedestrian posse here is a bit bigger and somewhat different. There are always tradeoffs when it comes to where you live, but so far this move's working wonders for my waistline.
Here are two more links related to this blog topic:
Rochester, Minnesota Launches Special Walking Site complete with park and neighborhood walk maps. Thanks, Walk Rochester, for getting in touch!
Guess Who's Deemed America's Fittest Big City? Among the indicators analyzed by the American College of Sports Medicine (creators of the ranking) were personal health habits and community environment.
Walk Well,
Liz
