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What matters now

What matters now is the sun. It is out, is is warm, it is shining on the days and I want to walk in it.

As I age, running hurts. It hurts my joints, it hurts my shins, it hurts my lungs and my throat. Likewise, exercise DVDs – the Jillian Michaels workouts that got me through winter – have destroyed my wrists so that I can barely bend my hands back; I can’t lay them flat on the floor to do a pushup – I have to form a fist.

I never walked for exercise because it wasn’t fast enough. I got bored walking. I’d find myself wanting to break into a run so I could get home faster, so I could get my exercise over with, so I could get to the real stuff of life: eating, writing, drinking coffee, laughing with my family. But now, after huffing and panting and shredding my joints in the dark cave of our basement, but now that I’ve begun listening to podcasts while I move slower than a run and gentler than burpees, but now with an aging body and a warming sun, I crave walks like I crave coffee and writing practice.

Because what matters now is sunshine. I see it slanting through our spring-cleaned kitchen windows, I see it warming our back deck, I see it dappling the tender new shoots in the park and lighting the flowering Appalachians and I want to be out in it. I want to enjoy it in a way that I don’t when I’m gasping for air on a run.

So now, in spring, I find time, I make time, I carve time out for walks in the hills with my headphones. For long walks in the spring sunshine that does my moody self such good.

21 thoughts on “What matters now”

    1. Of course. I added a link in the text to a post I did a while back about my favorite podcasts – http://andreabadgley.com/2013/11/01/the-best-podcasts-on-the-airwaves/ – but in short I listen to NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, Freakonomics, Book Riot, The TED Radio Hour, Dear Book Nerd, and a few others. I plan to post a list of literary/book nerd/storytelling podcasts on my Andrea Reads America blog in the next few days, so I’ll link up to that here when it goes live. Hope that helps!

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  4. Excellent writing…..and right on point about intense exercise and hurting joints….especially wrists. I also am walking for exercise and NEVER thought I would even dare call walking exercise after all the weightlifting, burpee-ing, running, squatting, etc. I need to take your advice and listen to podcasts while I walk.
    I sure do enjoy your blogs!!
    Cindy

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    1. Thanks Cindy. The podcast often make me add on to my walks – I’ll get into a story, and the sun will feel good, and I’ll tack on an extra loop or wander down a new path so that I can hear what happens next. Podcasts + walking = win.

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  5. I can’t run either. I’ve got weak girly ankles that can’t withstand the pounding pressure from running. I too love walking! There’s nothing better than a long, hot, sweaty, five-mile trek in the August Arkansas heat to cleanse the soul. (The spring walks are amazing as well, but there’s something about the heat I find cleansing.) I’m with you. Too bad we are states away, I’d invite you to join me! Enjoy your walks.

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  6. I’m trying to get going with podcasts. I tried to download a few or whatever you do, to my phone, but no luck. Will I have to pay for them? Either way, I can’t wait to combine exercise with mental stimulation!

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    1. No, you shouldn’t have to pay. I don’t pay for any of the ones I listen to. I’m not sure how it works on other phones, but I have an iphone and I downloaded the free Podcasts app for it. From within the app I can search from all the podcasts that are available. Some podcasts, like Book Riot, also create their own app. Search your app store for “podcast” and see what comes up.

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  8. Pingback: 8 Great Literary, Book Nerd, and Storytelling Podcasts | Andrea Reads America

  9. I really enjoyed this post about walking. Walking is so good for you and you have such a beautiful place to walk. Keep it up! You’ve written about podcasts before and I have never looked into downloading any but this post makes me want to give them a try.

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    1. I can’t wait to come to Tybee and walk. You should definitely try podcasts – you can get them for almost anything. Any subject you’re interested in, I bet there’s one out there for you.

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  10. And, speaking from the other side of the menopause mountain: as I’ve aged, I’ve found those nice, aerobic-intense workouts that used to work wonders on my waistline now completely fail me. The only thing to do is walk steadily for 60+ minutes … apparently extended, low-level exercise is what raises our metabolism for more than 15 minutes … blerk!

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    1. That actually sounds quite lovely to me 🙂 Especially when the sun is warm and the breeze is cool and the trees are in blossom and the birds are singing.

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  11. I’ve never been able to get into walking either, because as you said I always felt it wasn’t fast enough. Then I started walking my neighbor’s dog. It’s the perfect excuse to go outside and enjoy nature and I can’t get lazy, because I’d feel terrible if he peed in her house under my watch. Haha. I’m going to have to borrow some of your podcast suggestions. I’ve been on a HUGE TED Talk kick. It’s a constant stream of brain food and basically makes anything enjoyable.

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  12. I’m with you on the running. It used to be my thing because it was such an efficient way to exercise. But then then the knees and the hips started hurting. Now I walk, bike or hit the gym to use the elliptical. My favorite thing about the elliptical is that I can read on my iPad for 30 uninterrupted minutes!! Great post!

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