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.

A Ditz, Not a Geek

True confessions time:   neither a technophobe nor a Luddite, I am not a geek.   After much trial and error, a little head banging, and tutorials from my sons or my husband,  I can usually learn how to work a new piece of technology.  As much as the boys in Cupertino like to tell us, technology is not intuitive.  If it were, I'd be working for them instead of writing a blog about fitness and health. Another confession:  I live in a household of early adopters or lighthouse customers.  We love gadgets.

As I enter my sixth decade I am becoming more scatterbrained and, yes, ditzier. Learning something new takes longer than it used to for me.  But making the effort is so worthwhile! Meditation, yoga, crossword puzzles, social interaction, and a consistent aerobic routine help keep the brain young and elastic.

A study from Canada tested women in their 70s who walked to improve both verbal and spatial memory.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23509628  The study proved that "exercise can positively impact cognitive functioning and may represent an effective strategy to improve memory in those who have begun to experience cognitive decline."

If they can do it, so can I and so can you.

Remember:  walking may improve memory.

The Ditz