YogalifeThe class rushed to the glass windows. I cowered in the far opposite corner. The teacher, Meher Malik, quizzed the excited class if we should postpone belly dancing and run for safety. No one (except me) seemed ready to leave and one girl shouted she would be happy to die belly dancing. So, class was called back to order, and Arabic music once again filled the small studio.
While I spent the next 20 minutes gripped in a private argument in my head (“You’re really risking death for a ridiculous assignment?” “How will you dying improve your romantic life?”), slowly the loud music and the intricate dance moves pushed the worries from my mind.
An hour into the class, I was surprised to hear one of the girls shout, pointing towards the window, “We’re okay! The police just removed the bag!” Entranced in my dancing, I had forgotten all about the bomb threat.
A student balances on Sanjeev Bhanot’s legs in the bow pose. Harikrishna Katragadda / Mint
The class wound up being the only class this week where I wasn’t focusing on the boyfriend or on us as a couple. This slow, seductive dancing had nothing to do with him. It was all about me, my hips and the pounding music. And it was darn sexy.
Malik says the dance “is such a feminine thing” and at a certain point, she says, she can actually see her students stop feeling insecure and start loving their bodies.
Had Malik told me this before class, I would have likely scoffed at her. But after 2 hours of jutting my hips, rolling my shoulders and twisting my body, I was a convert. I felt gorgeous, feminine and ready for a glittery shawl. And if my mother is to be believed, the most attractive thing about a person is their self-confidence. So, while I’d like to skip the bombs next time, here’s to more belly shaking in my near future.
New batches start every month and cost Rs1,500 for four classes. For details, log on to
www.bellydancingindia.com
Synchronized breathing
Conveniently, while I laboured away at classes in the name of love, my partner was out of town on a month-long business trip. While this probably worked to our advantage—I got to vet the classes without having to put up with his adorable habit of whining—I did face a bit of a conundrum when I signed up for couple’s yoga. I had to ask the boyfriend permission to borrow his best friend as an understudy. I think he was okay with it until he started picturing actual yoga positions.
I dragged pseudo-boyfriend to the Yogalife studio in Shahpur Jat in south Delhi for a couple’s yoga workshop. As it turns out, couple’s yoga is, well, couple-y. To start, we hold hands, stare into each other’s eyes and synchronize our breathing: He breathes out, I breathe in. To make matters worse, our teacher Sanjeev Bhanot, all in the name of a good education, waxed philosophical about the utter importance of breathing in the practice of Tantra, in Kama Sutra, in life and in love.
It’s turned out to be near impossible to synchronize breathing while staring into the eyes of the boyfriend’s best friend, especially when said best friend happens to have deep blue eyes. I couldn’t stop giggling like a 12-year-old. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one. My partner was also unable to maintain sobriety. The teacher finally gave up and placed us back-to-back to breathe. It got a lot easier at that point.
I really do think there are certain things in our lives that can make us better people. And there are also things that can make us healthier – our mind, body and soul. Yoga is one of those practices and if you take a look at some of the stats online you will see why this particular exercise is one of the most practical and most beneficial.
There are mounds of benefits for doing Yoga for health reasons and otherwise. If your thinking about getting into Yoga or you have already started there are a few things you might want to watch or read in order to really wrap your soul around this spectacular activity.
One of the things I have learned a lot of things from are ebooks and websites. Sure, we can all go and take a class with a teacher. But I’m always very theoretical and analytical. I like to research things and really make sure I’M going to be serious about something beforehand.
A few weeks ago I found a few websites available online that offered ebooks. These books are great because not only are they incredibly informational, but they are well-priced and they are available to you right away.
Just pay, download, and read. That book will always be available to you on your computer; day or night! Heck, if you visit some of these official yoga guides online you can see that even the websites have a ton of information. So if the website has a lot of information you should only be able to imagine what the actual ebook contains! But if you still are curious about these books and you want a little sneak peak of what’s to be expected, take a look at some of the things included below!
- Inside view at all the different types of yoga equipment, why YOU need them and where to purchase them at rock-bottom prices!
- The secret to using yoga to safely cure any type of pain. (You will never have to worry about curing your body aches with health hazardous and toxic medication that often cause even more damage).
- Learn about the 7 different types of Yoga. (You will discover what each Yoga type consists of so you can choose the one that’s right for you).
- The reason why Yoga can help anyone lose up to 30 pounds of fat faster and more effectively than the most rigorous excise program.
- How Yoga can produce unlimited happiness and give your life a whole new sense of well-being that you’ve never experience before.
- Discover some of the most vital factors to consider when choosing a Yoga instructor. (If your instructor does any of these 4 things… you need to fire him!)
Plus you will learn other things in the books as well such as:
Introduction To Yoga Techniques addresses all the basics and gives you everything you need to know about yoga philosophy and tradition. You will discover traditional yoga philosophy and practice in an inviting, easy-to-read way.
Guide To Advanced Yoga Techniques supplies examples for the study and practice of Raja and Gnani Yoga. These are a treasure to be read and referred to again and again by those seeking the spiritual path. The classic Sutras cover the yogic teachings on morals, meditation, and physical postures, and provide directions for dealing with situations in your everyday life.
Easy Steps to Yoga – These Easy Steps to Yoga are laid out with a special view to enable the novice to ascend without much difficulty the heights of spiritual attainment.
These are books that anyone can use and anyone can buy. As long as you have a computer or a laptop with an Internet connection – you can have these books at your disposal. You could learn a ton of things that you might not have known before. Plus, as aforementioned they can let you know how to spot a good teacher.
I think when you join up with a new class you just automatically assume that since the person is a teacher, everything they do and say must be right. But sometimes this just isn’t the case. So now you will have a heads up of what your teacher really should be teaching you and what he really should be doing in terms of your specific class or Yoga style!
When it comes to something like Yoga, most people think that there is just one simple way of doing it. Really this isn’t the case! Far from it in fact. Yoga is a lot like the different types of Martial Arts. For example, with Aikido there are something like 13 different techniques, and then there are different attacks and different weapons. Yoga is the same way, there are different styles, positions, movements, etc. I like to think of the different styles of Yoga as being different levels.
For instance, if your a beginner then you might want to start off with something like Hatha or Kundalini. Whereas if you have been doing Yoga for awhile you might want to try Vinyasa or Sivananda because of the strict principles required. One thing is for sure, once you do figure out the correct motions your movements will flow accordingly and without problems. Yoga seems to be so incredibly popular because of the healthy benefits it can bring into your life. Not only wellness wise but emotional, physical, psychological, etc.
If you want to get into Yoga you should be aware of all the different styles and types available to you. There are many different styles of yoga being taught and practiced today. Although all of the styles are based on the same physical postures (called poses), each has a special emphasis. Listed below are the most popular types of yoga that can help you decide which class is right for you.
Kundalini -
The emphasis of Kundalini is on the breath in alignment with physical movement, with the purpose of loosing energy in the lower body and granting it to move upwards. Kundalini employs rapid, repetitive movements rather than positions held for a long time, and the teacher will often lead the class in call and response chanting.
Ashtanga -
This style of Yoga, also called Power Yoga which means “eight limbs” in Sanskrit, is a fast-paced, extreme style of yoga. A set series of poses is performed, always in the same order. Ashtanga practice is very physically demanding because of the constant movement from one pose to the next.
Hatha -
This is a very common term that can encompass many of the physical types of yoga. If a class is described as Hatha style, it is probably going to be slow-paced and gentle and provide a good introduction to the basic yoga poses.
This would most likely be the perfect class for older people that are just starting to get back into shape or for beginners that haven’t really done Yoga in the past. Don’t push too much too fast. This isn’t about who is the best, or the strongest or the quickest. It’s about balancing your mind, body and soul.
Iyengar -
Based on the teachings of Yogi B.K.S Iyengar, this specific style of Yoga is concentrated around body alignment. In yoga, the word “alignment” is used to describe the specific way which your body should be positioned inside each pose. Iyengar practice usually emphasizes holding poses over long periods versus moving quickly from one pose to the next.
Kundalini -
The emphasis of Kundalini is on the breath in alignment with physical movement, with the purpose of loosing energy in the lower body and granting it to move upwards. Kundalini employs rapid, repetitive movements rather than positions held for a long time, and the teacher will often lead the class in call and response chanting.
One of the things I suggest if you want to get into Yoga is to try to find a few ebooks online. These ebooks will be perfect for the beginner or the avid Yoga user. They will teach you things like Yoga positions plus other things you should very well be aware of such as benefits, how to pick a teacher, distinct types of equipment you can use for Yoga, and so much more!
Yoga means to unite. Unite our physical body and our physical mind with our Divine Mind, the Higher Mind. This alignment is basically our physical mind’s cooperation and surrender to the Higher Mind. It is the basic requirement for the people who love yoga very much. Nowadays these are very much popular because mats give the best practice at the time of doing yoga exercises. It enables you to do certain yoga practices properly and efficiently.
Divine Light Yoga brings its distinctive Teacher Training Program to Vancouver in Canada, which are particularly focusing on the understanding of Yoga and creativity. The courses are particularly designed to raise the knowledge of the creative sources within every student. Divine Light Yoga Teacher Training Program is a 200 hour and 500 hours intensive training program and Batch Starts from Feb 19, 2009. They aim to encourage and promote the original flow within students and to show them, how it is kept alive and used in every day’s life to make the most of it.
Nakul kapur has expert instructor of yoga in Divine Light Yoga, he is instruct several types of yoga like Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga).
1.HATHA YOGA: It prepares us, through kriyas (cleansing techniques), asanas (physical postures) and pranayam (breathing techniques), for higher practices in yoga.
2.KUNDALINI YOGA: Shakti is the active creative force of the universe. It is this life force that binds the whole of creation. It is this life force that is responsible for our existence and is also known as the Kundalini.
3.MANTRA YOGA: A mantra is a combination of syllables or words that correspond to a particular energy vibration. The essential technique is japa, or mental repetition of the mantra to invoke that energy in our selves. If done with concentration and pure intent, it is a form of prayer that purifies and raises our vibrations. It brings a sense of peace and calm, which are essential to meet the Divine within.
4.JNANA YOGA: It is the path of knowledge. Through spiritual knowledge, we are able to discern right from wrong, so that we can make good choices and avoid building bad karma (the law of cause and effect). We use spiritual knowledge to get rid of our bad qualities and replace them with good qualities. Most of our suffering is due to the darkness of ignorance and this suffering can be removed only with the light of knowledge
5.KARMA YOGA: It is the path of selfless service. Selfless service is at the core of our Higher Self and is the source of true peace and happiness. We express our love for God by serving all His creations. This yoga is the key for making the worldly path a divine path, by helping genuine good people.
6.BHAKTI YOGA: Bhakti is the approach of pure intense love, devotion to God, and attachment to Him alone. God is to be regarded as the devotee’s parent, master, friend, child, husband or sweetheart, each succeeding relationship representing an intensification of love.
7.RAJA YOGA (Ashtanga Yoga): It is a practical and systematic path, codified by sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras somewhere around 200 B.C. It is also known as the eightfold path as it is made up of eight angas, or limbs.
I guess when it comes to Yoga, a lot of people think that it’s just one form of exercise or one flow of movements. This just isn’t the case. If I had to compare the amount of movements to any other exercise, I would pick something like Karate, Tai Kwon Do, or that of Aikido. Once you figure out the movements within a type of exercise your movements will flow accordingly and without problems. This is considered one of the best exercises to get into. Not only is it incredibly beneficial to your health but to your mind as well. Sometimes people get into this for both reasoning’s or for one or the other.
For me, it was all about the soul and mind facet. I needed a way to relax my mind and destress myself. It has done that for me – and a whole lot more. I am calmer, more understanding, I can’t concentrate better, etc. If you want to get into Asana you should be aware of all the different styles and types available to you. There are many different styles of yoga being taught and practiced today. Although all of the styles are based on the same physical postures (called poses), each has a special emphasis. Listed below are the most popular types of yoga that can help you decide which class is right for you.
Hatha -
This is a very common term that can encompass many of the physical types of this exercise. If a class is described as Hatha style, it is probably going to be slow-paced and gentle and provide a good introduction to the basic poses. This would most likely be the perfect class for older people that are just starting to get back into shape or for beginners that haven’t really done in the past. Don’t push too much too fast. This isn’t about who is the best, or the strongest or the quickest. It’s about balancing your mind, body and soul.
Vinyasa -
Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, leans to be a more vigorous style based on the performance of a series of poses called Sun Salutations (also called Surya Namaskara, literally translates to “salute to the sun”), in which movement is met to the breath. A Vinyasa class will most likely start with a number of Sun Salutations to warm up the body for more intense stretching that’s done at the end of the class.
Ashtanga -
This style, also called Power Yoga which means “eight limbs” in Sanskrit, is a fast-paced, extreme style. A set series of poses is performed, always in the same order. Ashtanga practice is very physically demanding because of the constant movement from one pose to the next.
Iyengar -
Based on the teachings of Yogi B.K.S Iyengar, this specific style is concentrated around body alignment. The word “alignment” is used to describe the specific way which your body should be positioned inside each pose. Iyengar practice usually emphasizes holding poses over long periods versus moving quickly from one pose to the next.
Kundalini -
The emphasis of Kundalini is on the breath in alignment with physical movement, with the purpose of loosing energy in the lower body and granting it to move upwards. Kundalini employs rapid, repetitive movements rather than positions held for a long time, and the teacher will often lead the class in call and response chanting.
Other styles include that of Sivananda, Integral, Kripalu, Forrest, Anusara and Bikram. If you would want to learn even more about these types of styles you could very well go searching around on the Internet at a few dozen places. Or you could do the smart thing – look for an ebook that centers around yoga. Or better yet, find an ebook that centers around beginners Yoga! This could give you more examples of Yoga positions plus other things you should very well be aware of such as benefits, how to pick a teacher, different types of equipment you can use for Yoga, and so much more!
In addition to feeling your breath flow and your stomach and ribs expand, I want you to feel the energy that flows into your body with each breath. For me it feels like a lightness, or a very light feeling. It may feel different for you so take some time here and just open up and feel the energy.
Now when you draw the energy in can you feel it pooling at your center of gravity just below your belly button? Now as you breathe just let that pool of energy expand throughout your body. Can you feel it flowing down through your legs and up your back and down your arms? Take some time here and practice this feeling that energy pool expand through your whole body. Later we’ll expand it out even further, but for now just let it flow.
This exercise should help you to feel rejuvenated and refreshed as you’re drawing energy from an infinite pool. Do this exercise whenever you’re depressed or down, and eventually as you progress you’ll learn to do it all the time. It’s a habit that you have to grow into.
Awareness and Intention
EVERYTHING is about ‘Awareness’ and ‘Intention’. Now that you’ve begun to build an awareness of the energy, called Chi, Ki or Prana in some circles, you’ll be able to do things with it and move it around in your (and other peoples) body.
We move energy with ‘Intention’, and this is a very important fact. EVERYTHING is energy! Our thoughts, our actions, our beliefs, everything around us and everything we see, feel, hear, think and do is energy. Intention is what we do with that energy.
We are all connected in a vast energy pool that encompasses everything that is, was and will be. It doesn’t matter whether a person believes in it or can feel it; they still have the ability to affect it. How many times have you seen a person with a negative attitude who continually draws more negative reactions to himself? He’s broadcasting his intentions through his attitudes with the result that he becomes a human ‘crap magnet’, drawing in all the negative feelings and emotions and experiences.
The other side of this is the continually positive person who always approaches everything from a positive attitude. This doesn’t mean that everything always goes the way she wants it, but if you’ll watch you’ll see that even the bad times provide fuel for her growth and she tries to take every ‘bad experience’ as a lesson to help improve herself.
Just as our thoughts can influence Chi subconsciously, so can they move it around in our body. Energy follows thought, so when you think about moving energy then it will actually go where you send it. The important thing here is to stay out of its way. Energy moves in a spiral and at its own speed, so don’t try to micro-manage it, just let it flow.
Now take some time and do the Full Body Awareness exercise again, and this time feel the energy go where you send it. You can also play with this a bit. Send it down to your feet, now bring it back to your center and this time just send it down to your left foot, now your right. Now send it up to your head, and down to your left elbow.
Now, the next time you’re stuck in traffic, or impatiently waiting in line at the Motor Vehicles Office, just relax and start to play with this. Isn’t this a neat toy?
Staying Healthy Through Yoga Meditation
Working a nine to five job can be stressful. This is because not everyone goes home on the dot when deadlines have to be met which may make the employee stay until the early hours of the morning then just go home for a quick shower and report back to the office.
Doctors recommend at least 8 hours of sleep everyday to avoid signs of exhaustion or fatigue. A vacation also sounds good to be able to recharge the old batteries but since the person cannot do this every time, a better solution needs to be found. A good way to relieve stress for those who don’t want to exert too much effort is yoga.
What is yoga? This is one of the many low impact exercises which is designed to help strengthen both the mind and the body. While some think that it is just sitting down in a lotus position, there is more to it than that which is probably why this has been practiced for more than 5000 years.
Yoga meditation allows the person to relax. After closing one’s eyes, the individual can listen to the silence and escape to that special place. For a few minutes, it allows the participant to forget about the problems in life and then wake up feeling rested.
The exercise itself takes discipline and practice especially if there are distractions around when there are a lot of people in the room. The individual should pretend no one else is there to be to take advantage of what this exercise has to offer.
Yoga has evolved through the years and there are many forms to choose from. A beginner can enroll in a gym to learn the basic moves from an instructor and then continue to do this with a group or at home.
The key to yoga meditation is breathing. Everyone does it differently but once the person is able to get in tune with it, the rest will become easy. The best way to achieve this is by drawing the spine to a straight position and keeping it there the whole time.
Those who are not used to maintaining a lotus position on the floor can still practice this by sitting on a straight back chair. This should be done until the individual is ready to participate by doing it on the floor.
Another technique to practice yoga meditation will be to lie down on the mat and put the legs on top of the chair. The spine should be flat the whole time so the person’s breathing will not be disrupted.
The person does not have to say anything throughout the yoga meditation. The instructor will take care of everything by playing a CD of relaxing music playing or the sound of water flowing down coming from the speakers.
The only thing the individual should focus on is the air being inhaled and exhaled,see our Free Yoga meditation videos. This should not be forced but rather letting it just flow freely in and out while being stationary in that position.
As the person gets up and does the other positions, the participant should not forget to concentrate on the breathing. This is because yoga meditation does not only give the individual inner peace but also a positive personality development.
Anyone can learn yoga and be able to master meditation,see our Free Yoga meditation videos. All the person has to do is find a gym that offers such classes so one can easily sign up and see what this has to offer. It will be a good idea to wear loose clothing and bring a mat so that one can sit comfortably throughout the entire session.
If the individual does not have time to go to the gym regularly, there are DVD’s available in the market so this can be practiced in the comforts of one’s home.
Those who want to try something else can try Bikram or Yoga Booty which cater to those in the advanced classes,see our Free Yoga meditation videos.
Sometimes going on a vacation may seem the best to be way to relax but if the cost of air travel and the planning is a hassle, there is no harm in sitting on a mat and doing some yoga meditation.
Contrary to most beliefs, frequent eating does not directly means weight gain. There are other factors involve for this. There are: the activities between the two meals, then, there is also the amount of the meal and the quality of the meals taken. Weight gain is also not as bad, because there are some that aims to gain weight to turn them into muscles. This holds true for those that would like to develop more muscles.
Let us first check on the activities between the two meals. Say, the meals are three hours apart. Within the three hours, what were the activities? Say, a 30 minute aerobic workout, then 30 minutes in the exercise machine and 20 minutes lifting weight. The activities are strenuous, so the meals’ nutrients could have been equaled or surpassed by the activities themselves. Weight gain may be very hard to achieve with such activities before and after a meal, but this is mainly used by body builders.
Another factor is the amount of the meal serving. A meal can be dubbed as full, when all essential food groups are present as well as the serving is hefty. If the meal is not much, just a small amount to quench the ‘small’ hunger, then this may not contribute to a drastic weight gain. There are even some fitness experts that recommend such activity so that those under the weight loss program would not feel weak. Small servings of food frequently taken can also contribute to the motivation of those under weight loss programs, either exercise or diet programs. This makes them feel less deprived of food. Hunger contributes much to people losing interest in their weight loss programs.
This also goes the same thing as when there are poor quality diet foods. Now, the quality of food served during these meals may vary. The meals may contain sweets and other food that has saturated fats, or some that are ‘unhealthy’. Although, there are some that may serve fruits for the two meals, some vegetables and some are also take food supplements like protein shakes. This may be different combinations of such foods. This stands as long as the food served have essential nutrients.
Frequent eating does not mean weight gain per se. A combination of the three mentioned factors should be employed to avoid weight gain. One good combination is a physical activity, a small serving of healthy foods. Such holds true especially if the calorie count still does not exceed your required calories.
Because of the convenience that contact lenses provide, many are opting to wear them instead of spectacles or eyeglasses. But just like any other device or contraption used by man, there is a proper way of handling contact lenses which wearers must follow in order to obtain the full benefits from using them.
The importance of proper contact lens maintenance has been more emphasized recently due to reported incidents of fungal keratitis among wearers. This rare eye infection is characterized by the inflammation of the cornea by a fungal organism. Although this disease is not caused by the use of contacts, observing proper lens care prevents or significantly lowers the risk of contracting the infection.
Primarily, all contact lenses must be cleaned regularly. There are several cleaning solutions available in the market today and each comes with its own information on the cleaning procedure to be followed. The wearer must exercise diligence in abiding with the procedure. A basic step in cleaning is that lenses must be rubbed with the fingers and rinsed thoroughly with the solution before being soaked overnight. In soaking, the lens should be completely submerged in the solution for disinfecting. It is essential to use only fresh solution. This means that the solution that was used the previous day has to be discarded and a fresh one poured into the storage case to soak the lens. This must be observed even if the lenses are not used daily.
In storing contact lenses, one must use the proper storage case and this must replaced every three months. This step is easy to adhere to since some cleaning and disinfecting solutions provide a free storage case with every purchase. In this way, the wearer can change his storage case every time he buys a solution.
Tap water should never be used to clean contact lenses. There have been cases where users have actually used this or homemade saline solutions. According to optometrists, the use of inappropriate solutions has been known to potentially cause a blinding condition to users of soft contact lenses. Further, it is of utmost importance to have clean hands when handling lenses. Cream and moisturizing soaps are not ideal in this case because they leave a film on the hands that can be transferred to the lenses.
Lastly, wearers must only use lenses that have been prescribed by eye professionals since wearing contact lenses is not suitable for everybody.
Walking is the best and cheapest way to achieve lifetime fitness. With a healthy diet and a fitness walking program you will soon be able to scamper over the hill. Fitness tips, help and advice for all ages are freely
Humans are bipedal creatures. We are designed to walk on two legs. Just look at the pleasure on a toddler’s face as he takes his first steps – pleasure that only increases as he learns to use his legs to run, jump, skip and so on.
Fitness walking programs were unheard of in “Clan of the Cave Bear” days. With just two legs and arms and his wits to keep himself fed, watered and sheltered, prehistoric man was either fit – or dead.
However, modern ways of living (probably from as far back as the invention of the wheel) and eating (obtaining food from the refrigerator rather than the tree) mean that we need to build ‘fitness’ in as a lifestyle option rather than taking it for granted. Enter fitness walking and fitness walking programs – walking regularly in a structured manner that leads to greater physical fitness for the walker.
Defined as “America’s latest fitness craze” and catching on rapidly elsewhere, so many benefits accrue to walking for fitness that it’s hard to list them. Strengthened lungs and heart get on with doing the jobs for which they were made, sending oxygenated blood around your body and getting rid of wastes, including carbon dioxide. More oxygen to the cells burns fat and you lose weight. Fitness walking has been shown to lessen the risk of heart disease and stroke, arthritis and osteoporosis. As well, muscles and bones work better after regular, low-impact exercise so you have more energy than before, which in turn leads to greater self-esteem and reduced stress as you cope with life differently. All this for doing something that is free and enjoyable and doesn’t even need a gym membership – walking.
People slot into walking for fitness programs at their own level, aiming to increase their stamina, the distance they walk and, possibly, their speed, as time goes by. The aim is to be comfortable while fitness walking, but not so comfortable that you can carry out a full conversation at the same time. You should be breathing hard enough that a few sentences have to suffice. Working towards a fast (but not too fast) pulse rate at a pace that makes you perspire just a little, is the way to go.
Various accessories, and of course, walking with others, turn fitness walking into a sport. Use a pedometer to count steps (10,000 a day for optimum fitness – a couch potato will walk about 3000 steps in an average day). Check out walking clothing – there are some wonderfully well-designed shoes – and walking poles; join an outdoor walking group in your area, or, if outdoors is impossible in winter, save up to put a treadmill in your basement.
It’s said that Charles Dickens went for a 20-mile country walk after he finished writing each day. Actress Suzanne Somers likes to walk “straight up mountains” to keep in shape. John Glenn, famous astronaut, took up fitness walking when the impact of running became too hard on his knees. We walkers are in great company.