If you know me, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear me say that I’m the opposite of a couch potato. I’m of the why-sit-when-you-can-stand variety.
In fact, since moving from my house to an apartment, the thing I miss most are my high kitchen countertops which allowed me to stand while working on my computer; perching my laptop on the counters gave me the perfect eye level view. Damn you, new kitchen counters! Can’t you just grow about four inches?
And on the rare occasions I watch television, you can find me eyeing it while pacing or standing, or jumping up and down at regular intervals to do some things around the apartment (yeah, I guess there’s a little ADD you have to factor in there, too). That is also known as “flitting.”
I am a master flitter.
And then when I found out that sitting is actually bad for your health, it strengthened my position that much more. See? I told hubby. That’s precisely why I don’t sit. It’s unhealthy! It interferes with the way your body metabolizes certain fuels, like glucose and lipids. I silently wished my beloved couch potato would morph into a flitter, too.
But my campaign to sit less/stand more was met with deaf ears, until…
I bought hubby a birthday present – a Fitbit Flex. I gave it to him right before we left for our trip to Italy. (In case you’re not familiar with this, it’s a device that tracks your steps, distance, calories burned and sleep. You see real-time progress on your smartphone or computer).
Well, a wonderful thing happened on our trip. We walked…and walked…and walked. Let me just preface this by telling you that we are big walkers, especially when on vacation in places that are sublimely walkable. But our walking now took on a different meaning.
“Let’s top what we did yesterday,” was my wake-up call each morning as hubby strapped the thin rubber black strap onto his right wrist. Before I knew it, we were logging upwards of 11 miles each day, stopping only to munch on some tasty pasta or fish. My legs took on a life of their own, taking me down narrow alleyways and rolling hills in search of the next big step.
One day, in our attempt to rack up even bigger numbers, we took an extra walk after dinner. Not a bad thing, under any circumstances.
Walking helped me to slow down and really see the sites. When you move at 3 or 4 miles per hour, rather than 30 or 40 mph, you can examine the minute details of your surroundings, like the cracks on the side of a medieval church or the way the ancient cobblestones feel beneath your feet. You can sneak up to a rose and sniff its luscious fragrance, see the street life of the locals; pet their dogs, admire their babies while exchanging the universal language of warm smiles.
Walking puts you out into the world, rather than behind a window of a bus or car.
Another benefit? We returned home from vacation with zero weight gain, despite our vow to taste all of the available gelato in Italy and wash down our meals with local wines.
The couch is empty. The TV is on. Where is hubby?
Pacing, of course.
Love your post! Welcome back!
I think I am a wee bit if a couch potato, but I do love to walk. I’m impressed that you and your husband walks 11 miles a day in Italy.
I was impressed, too, Helene. It’s fun to guess how many miles you did at the end of the day – I always was pleasantly surprised!
What a wonderful post! I loved this idea of counting up the miles. I think I will get one of those gadgets for my husband.
Thanks, Alexandra. It might make a great Father’s Day gift for your husband…
So many of my friends have these and I see people all the time at the gym wearing them, too. From time to time I enjoy wearing a pedometer because it’s just plain fun to see how far I’ve gone : )
It’s unbelievable how it makes a difference, even in someone (like me) who has a lot of self-motivation.
Of course you flitter. You’re a Libra. LOL. Actually, I sit a lot more than I want. Especially here in my cubicle world. But I do get up a lot and find reasons to drink water, say hi to someone, work out at lunch at the gym downstairs. Need to get up off my be-hind more! Thanks for the reminder.
Precisely, Lisa. So you know flitting – and seem to be doing your share of it, too!
Looks like a great trip. You remind me that I need to get new batteries for my old-school pedometer.
An old-school pedometer works, too! I was using one until just recently.
I’m always a big fan of Whatever Works. Congratulations on finding it.
We do the same thing on vacation. In fact, I usually end up losing weight on trips despite eating everything in sight.
That’s is the best idea ever! Walking give you the chance to conect with the people and nature. In my next vacation I’ll follow your example. Thanks for the tip.
Enjoyed hearing a little bit about your trip — sounds fabulous! Also love the idea of getting hubby a Fitbit Flex for Father’s Day (I want one, too!). We both enjoy walking, especially on trips, and we’re often curious about exactly how far we walked … this would end the mystery. Good reminder that when you walk most of the day, it’s OK to eat when you stop for a break! (But when you sit all day, you have to be more careful about what you eat … and drink.) Thanks for sharing!
So many of my friends have this. I walk everywhere I don’t find a need for it. But it ‘s a cool little device.