The Stroll in the Dark

I've been doing a lot of indoor exercise, usually somewhere between 25-40 minutes a day once I add it all together.  I did this because I knew I wasn't doing enough upper body stuff.  This newly discovered love for creating strong legs had pushed me in the direction of neglecting the rest of what was going on. I was already doing some stuff on my exercise ball, but I added some time with a resistance band to work out my arms.

Because I've been getting my physical activity inside, I haven't been walking as much.  I knew I needed to get back to it though, because walking is fundamental and wonderful for relaxing my body.  An evening walk seemed like my best option. I would be finished with my other activities for the day and could use it to help ease me into the night. After making the decision and feeling happy about it, I pulled on my shoes and took my first stroll in the dark.

To be fair, it wasn't completely dark yet. I could still see well enough and none of the street lights were on. Nevertheless, it was kind of thrilling. It's been a long time since I was outside and on my feet as the sun was past setting. I loved that part of it.

What I loved even more was how easy it was. My body has started to change just enough to where walking isn't as draining as it used to be. I actually felt more benefit out of it than damage, which as nice considering I haven't really been that active with it. In a way, I almost felt like a kid, because it's probably been that long since I was out walking the driveway and not being in desperate pain in the process.

When you're regaining your physical strength, it's always a good idea to vary your routine. It keeps your body from growing too used to just one type of exercise and it insures that you work more than just the same set of muscles over and over again. For me, I've found the best aspect of this is how much going back to an old activity can show you all the progress you're making. Walking is easier than it was four weeks ago. You have no idea how happy that makes me.