Little Changes Add Steps on Your Fitbit

Yesterday was cold with temperatures in the high teens and a north wind.  Not a pleasant day for a long walk.  But I wanted to get out into the fresh air and sunshine and needed human interaction.   I also needed groceries.  Rather than shopping at the grocery store closest to me, I set off for another, seven blocks further.  I took the "long-cut," as my son used to say when he was little,  to add another quarter-mile or so to my journey.  By the time I got to the store, my fingers were numb.

I quit using shopping carts decades ago, unless circumstances require an especially large purchase for a holiday party or a return from a vacation. My routine is to shop frequently and to use the small baskets rather than the large carts.  Whatever I can fit into and carry around the store in the basket (Sometimes I even use two baskets if am using a car.) is what I take home.  I try to purchase only what is on my list.  Not having a lot of room in the basket limits impulse purchases of processed foods.  If  grandmother didn't eat it, neither should I.

I purchased bok choy, brocolli rabe,  shitake mushrooms, tofu, a large container of yogurt, and a bottle of olive oil.  There was still room in the basket, but there was nothing else on the list.  I glanced at the endcaps for special sales items, but nothing on sale was needed in the pantry.

The walk home was direct, with about 8 pounds of groceries divided into two bags--four pound weights in each bag.  Sometimes I held the bags together so I could keep one hand warm in a pocket.   I walked briskly, and, thankfully, didn't have to wait for lights.

Over time,  little things add up.  The "long-cut," the basket on my arm instead of the cart on wheels, the weight of the groceries on the schlep home, a short aerobic burst or two to stay warm--over the course of the year add up to many more miles of aerobic activity and hours of weight-bearing exercise to improve bone density.  Park further away from the store when you have time.  Get off the bus a few blocks before your stop and walk.  Carry the groceries around the store and all the way home.   You'll be fitter and feel better.