Yesterday represented an important milestone for me.  It marked the fifth anniversary of a walking program I began on December 15, 2019.  What led me to that commitment was the result of too much travel, and too little regular exercise.  In the period leading to the start day five years ago, my weight had risen to a whopping (for me) 212 pounds, and my conditioning was not stellar.

The Covid-19 Pandemic Solidified My Walking Program

Everyone was sent home in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Thankfully, I took the time during those months at home to continue the walking that I had begun just a few months before.  Lots of folks experienced a “pandemic bulge” during the work-at-home phase of the pandemic.  However, as the pandemic progressed, I developed a few “rules” for maintaining physical and mental health during pandemic times, and they are pretty sound today.  In summary, they were (with current comments in parentheses):

• Set up a home office (it is still good to have one!)
• Use Zoom to communicate (my goodness do we use Zoom/Teams going into 2025)
• Connect with two to three people a day (that’s always a good habit)
• Coffee, water, water, coffee (the news re the goodness or badness of extra coffee is mixed today)
• Stop work at 5:30 or 6 o’clock (Still a good rule for the most part – there are always exceptions)
• 10,000 steps per day or exercise regularly (I now use 5 miles per day as the goal, which is a few extra steps over 10,000)
• One plate rule at meals (this simple rule has helped me maintain weight at a more reasonable level than when my walking began)
• Two drinks rule at night (well, I’ve broken that a time or three, but the point is be aware and moderation)
• Read a novel (good for the mind and the soul)
• Get about 8 hours of sleep each night (I’m still keeping this up – my average time sleeping has been 8 hours 7 minutes per night for the last year)
• Go to church services online (now that churches have been worshipping in person for a long time, I do prefer to attend services rather than view them online)

It will be rewarding.

And a couple of things I don’t recommend:

• Don’t fall into the “I need a snack” trap and (snacks are a great way to break the “one plate per meal” rule)
• Don’t watch too much TV (too much TV is mind-numbing, at least to me)

Overall Results

After five years of walking, one of the best results is that my weight is under control – not completely if I’m honest, but for the most part.  From the starting point of 212 pounds, my weight has dropped as low as 192 pounds.  But it has risen from those lows to 202-203 pounds.  When that happens, I focus more keenly on both diet and exercise.  Currently, my weight is stable at about 195 pounds.

The focus on exercise and weight has created additional health benefits.  Cholesterol and blood pressure were not in the appropriate ranges at the start.  Both are much better and pretty much normal (and my doctor is pleased).  All other blood work is “normal,” thankfully!

Little did I know when I committed to a walking program on December 15, 2019 where that program would lead me.  After five years, I’ve walked a fair amount, as summarized in the following table.

Lots of steps and lots of miles.  Rather than the original goal of 10,000 steps per day, I’ve averaged 12,263 steps per day, and 5.8 miles per day.  That’s better than originally anticipated.  Keep in mind that my Fitbit also picks up steps when I play pickleball, which I do with regularity.

Importantly, note that since August 29, 2023, my daily average miles is 4.88 and not 5.0.  On that day, I incurred an issue with the meniscus in my right knee.  That shut me down for awhile and slowed me down for a longer time.  Then, in April of 2024, I had an (assisted) fall on the pickleball court. I hit the floor with my left hip and my partner fell on me and crunched my right hip and right shoulder, not to mention bruising ribs.

That slowed me down a bit more.  Thankfully, all is better now with the exception of occasional pain in a hip.  But I still walk.

What these adversities have taught me is that a walking program is not about what we do today.  It is all about what we do over time.  Given the impact of a lingering sinus infection on my body and mind, I walked only 3.1 miles and 3.2 miles on December 14th and 15th.  What I’ve come to realize is that it is okay to fall short on a given day if I don’t lose sight of the longer-term goal.

I can honestly say that at the outset, I felt that failing to meet a day’s goal was a failure for my walking program.  I walked less than five miles only six times in the first 900 days.

Today, I have learned that the walking program is a long-term program in pursuit of long-term benefits.  If I fall short for a day or three now, I just get back up and walk.

A Few Thoughts for the Future

On this first day of the sixth year of my walking program, I’m thinking about a few things:

• I will keep walking with a longer-term average in excess of 5 miles per day.
• I hope to get a larger portion of those steps playing pickleball in Memphis, Daytona Beach, and wherever my travels take me.
• I plan to continue to exhibit moderation in my diet and alcohol consumption.
• With five years in the bag, I’m setting one more goal.  My scales are linked to the Feelfit app, which tracks weight and several other health-related indicators.  My Body Mass Index (BMI) is 26.1, which the app shows as modestly overweight.  I have that!  To get to the green (normal) range, my BMI needs to drop to just below 25.0, which would correspond to a weight of about 186.5 pounds, or about 8.5 pounds.  Here goes.

These “walking” posts have nothing to do with business appraisal, but writing them over the past five years has helped me maintain focus on my program and goals.  Many people have told me that reading these posts has encouraged them to begin walking programs of their own.

A Few Thoughts for Consideration

Is a goal of 10,000 steps or 5 miles the appropriate goal for everyone?  Probably not.  Some may want to set higher goals and others will set lower goals.  In an article published in 2019, the National Institute of Health summarized findings as follows:

After five years of regular walking, I can say that a goal of 5+ miles per day works for me.  Does it take time?  Yes.  Does it take intentionality?  Yes, again.  Does 3 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles, or 8 miles per day guarantee fitness and weight control?  Sadly, no.

Let’s talk about time.  When I started this program, I was almost 72 years old and I was still working way too much.  By being intentional about time, I was able to achieve my walking goals early on. I won’t comment on my current age, but age-adjusted, I seem to be in pretty good health and spirits!

Over the last five years, I have slowed down on the work front with the help of my colleagues at Mercer Capital.  My colleagues control our company through the Mercer Capital ESOP.  They have managed the company since 2009.  I now call myself semi-retired and work on interesting projects and am reasonably active in writing and speaking activities.

Interestingly, it is sometimes as or more difficult to maintain my walking with my reduced schedule than when I was overworking.  Other things seem to get in the way.  But I will keep my feet on the ground and walk on.

A regular walking program combined with reasonable control or food and drink will almost surely be good for health and fitness.  Remember the great equation(s) of life, which is the relationship between calories consumed (CC) and calories expended (CE).  This relationship holds per day, but it is best considered over time:

CC < CE = Weight Gain

CC > CE = Weight Loss

CC = CE = Weight Maintenance

I can tell from personal experience and my annual physicals that regular exercise and diet control have been good for my physical and mental health.  To reach my additional goal of a BMI less than 25.0, I will have to pay attention to the above equations.  Sadly, I’m not likely to exercise at a much higher level than above, so I’ll have to work some on the diet and drink side to achieve it.

If these posts have been interesting, thought-provoking, and/or motivational, I’m grateful.  Writing them has been all three for me over these past five years.

I’m looking forward to the next five years of my walking program.

Until next time, be well!

Chris