One Foot In Front Of The Other

I was fitted for walking shoes at Gallagher Fitness Resources this week. I wouldn’t have chosen to go there on my own. I would have thought they were a bunch of fitness freaks who would judge me. I don’t typically set myself up to be embarrassed. So, I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming and, above all, helpful Susan was. She looked at my legs and feet and the way I walked and then came back with several choices for me to try. She was incredibly patient and truly wanted me to feel good in my shoes. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have gotten shoes there (thank you, Kari!).

My typical shoe shopping experience is to go to a store with as much “self-help” as possible. I haven’t wanted a salesperson looking at my feet or legs (which are swollen, rough, and ugly) and evaluating my need. The idea of someone being grossed out by me is a something I think a lot about and I especially don’t want to come face to face with it. I think, too, to save money I have shopped at places where  the staff is not knowledgeable or experienced and so they would not be helpful even if they tried. I can see how flawed my thinking was. I may pay more for shoes, but my shoes will fit and feel good which means that I will wear them and probably exercise more.

I think I’ve forgotten how to walk right. I’ve been wearing flip flops just about exclusively for a couple of years now. They are so easy and convenient – no bending over, no tying. They fit my fat feet and they are so quick when running out the door. But with my fabulous new shoes on, I’ve noticed that I still clench my toes to hold my shoes on. I guess it will take a while to retrain myself how to walk. It’s silly, the things we do to ourselves.

So I’m starting to walk tomorrow. I know that being outside in the fresh air will be so good for me. I know that being active is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle. I think I won’t feel so old, either. Most importantly, if I'm outside walking, I won't be inside feeding my face. Lobster sent me this quote from an article on Foxnews.com, written by Laurie Tarkan,

“Exercise is known to help people cope with stress by improving moods and lowering anxiety.  Studies show that physically active people are less reactive to stress than non-active people, and people who exercise cope better with stress from all aspects of their life.”

This is something I can sure use. I’m sure everyone at home will benefit from my exercising. You know the old saying, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”