Exercises, anyone?

This year I discovered the joy of exercise. I am not a person who like to sweat but because of a challenge, I had to increase my step count. To my horror, my average step count in a day is a miserable 3000. I like to think that is due to the fact that I work in an office. However, I can't use that excuse on weekends. To my disgust, my step count on weekends is not better. Must be because of those hours I spent in front of the TV. So, I had to face the fact that my lifestyle needs a change.

During the initial weeks in the challenge, I was taking evening walks at least three times a week. On weekends, I might even take hour-long walk twice a day. To my suprise, I found that these walks really gave benefit. I was in better health mentally and physically.  I find I am in a better mood after an exercise.

And I started liking these walks. I like looking at the greens surrounding my paths. The trees, the grass and the occasional flowers. I am frequently amazed, again and again, by how green the greens are. Sometimes my walks are blessed with the chirping of birds. Sometime, very infrequently, I'd hear croaks from frogs. Often, I am thankful for the clear blue skies over my head. Clouds of all shapes in the sky.... And when the wind blows....aahhh...

All in all, I am thankful that I could walk outside in the open air and enjoy the nature. Nature often gives me a pleasant view. Thank you, God. It's wonderful to be alive in a nation that is free from civil war, free from flood, free from earthquake and hurricanes.

Sometimes I'd praise and pray to God while walking but more frequent than not I'd find my thoughts straying to work related issues. Truth is that these walks helped keep me calm and manage my stress level. No problem is insurmountable when I am out in the nature. The nature calls and shouts of God's might and love. Can't ignore those. It's like time-out from all the cares and grieves in this world. It's like a walk in God's courtyard. Joy.

Depending on the path I take, I'd see runners, joggers or walkers. They are from all ages ranging from toddlers to elderlies in wheelchairs. Parents pushing prams, pet owners walking their dogs and twice, I saw a young girl 'walking' her two rabbits. One route I take on weekends will bring me past a flat land. Here I will see a group of people practising tai chi or chi gong (errmm...I don't know the difference). One day, I will join them.

The park has a man-made lake. When there's stale bread on hand, I'd throw them in. There's turtles and fish. Sadly, no matter how many times and how near I threw bread crumbs to the turtles, the fish get them first. Aww....