First of all, don’t slag me off for using an Americanism in the title. It’s currently one of my girls’ favourite words and so it seemed appropriate to use it here.
My job is pretty sedentary. I sit at a desk most of the day and often spend over an hour in the car getting to meetings, where I sit some more and then drive back again.
I run (obvs) and cross train mainly in the evenings when the kids
are in bed, and I walk my daughter to school every morning, but that leaves a huge part of my day sat on said butt.
It’s been bothering me for a while and I have been trying to think of ways to introduce more movement into my day. I considered running from the office at lunchtime, but with one tiny room with the office’s only toilet and a tiny sink the only place where I could change and ‘freshen up’ post-run it’s not going to happen.
I briefly thought about cycling to work, but with the previously mentioned lack of changing facilities and the worry that if there was a child-related emergency it could take ages for me to get to the school I dismissed that pretty quickly. (I had visions of turning up at the school office jelly-legged, red-faced and sweaty an hour after getting the call and getting a ‘hard stare’ from the rather formidable school secretary as she hands over my sick child…)
Then my personal trainer posted a step challenge for May on his Facebook group. I like a challenge, but I don’t like walking unless it’s to get from A to B. It’s a bit slow and I’d always rather be running. But I really do like a challenge…
And so this lunchtime I went for a walk around the meadow park near my offices. It felt slow and I was a bit bored after seven minutes (I can be this precise as I checked my watch to see how long I’d been walking after what seemed like ages – seven minutes exactly). So I decided to make the most of the pace and take more notice of my surroundings. I even took some ‘spring-themed’ pictures (although none of the birds I saw, even the fat pigeon had flown away by the time I had got my phone out my pocket, unlocked it, opened the camera app and pointed it towards his big feathery mass).
I ambled and explored and then headed back to the office feeling better for the fresh air and movement. I might even do it again later this week, especially if it helps with the step challenge.