Move Yourself to Work
I like walking to work. Or riding my bike. Rollerblading. Running. Gonna try kayaking (just need a kayak),long-boarding and XC skiing one of these days too. My current commute is 5-8 km depending on my chosen route, mode of transport and season. At one point, when I was teaching junior high I rode my bike 23 km each way. Yes, I do this in the winter as well (my record is -36 C w/o wind chill – not doing that again…). You may rightly ask, “why”? Let me explain with a few pictures and fewer words.
I happen to live less than 5 minutes from the largest urban parkland in North America (7,400 hectares or almost 20,000 acres). That means for much of the year I can access trails and paths on my way to work. This was not always the case. One of the reasons we moved to our current house was to be closer to this jewel.
This is my Spring / Summer / Fall (Fall is my favourite!) ride home – sweet single-track to chase all my worries away, experience some eustress and leave the distress in my dust. Most days I put in a few extra kms just because – I mean, have you LOOKED at this picture?
Walking in the winter can lead to unexpected vistas like this one. When I biked this way in the morning the stairs were bare. In the afternoon you could taste the silence brought on by the new snow.
It is good to challenge Old Man Winter. Especially on my winter-bike taking on big Alberta trucks and bigger egos. Nuff said.
One more shot of a favourite trail. You might say, “But I don’t live by all these nice trails like you do – it wouldn’t work for me.” Phooey. Everyone has options. Get off the bus a few kms early or walk to a stop a few klicks away. Park your car somewhere further away. Ask others at work if they use active transport and get some tips. Absolutely can’t make it work? Take a lap around the office building at lunch! Try moving yourself to work just once a week – guarantee you’ll get hooked. Your body, mind and soul will thank you.
Made to Move
Welcome to Purposeful Movement!
This wee blog has been a long time coming but sometimes life just seems to get in the way… I will be touching on a wide variety of topics (OK, sometimes more ranting than touching) with the common theme being movement of all sorts. Physical education, for sure. Sport, yup. Physical activity, yup. Physical literacy – you betcha. Children and youth – absolutely (a bit of a specialty of mine). Joy – wouldn’t miss it. So, to kick this off and give you a bit of glimpse into my psyche (scary, I know), here is a poem I wrote for my Masters thesis. Yes, I said a poem. Enjoy!
Child
For a fleeting moment, the child is still
Face dirty and smiling
Jeans grass-stained, torn, mended, torn again
Pockets full
Before the image really registers, the child is gone
A blur flying among the tall grass, fences and pastures
Free to explore and enjoy
Movement everywhere, in everything
Bikes, balls, trees, fields, swings, space
Pretending, feeling, building, creating
Work is play, play is work
Sweating in the late afternoon sun
Dirt clings but does not matter
All day he moves over the farm
Running, jumping, crawling, throwing,
Walking, creeping, leaping, rolling
The only constant is constant movement
Joy seeps through the dirt
Eyes are bright and expressive
Face mirrors mood
Reveling in the smallest accomplishment
Sharing success excitedly with any who will listen
At the end of the day he falls
Into a contented sleep
Dreaming
Of
Joy.
Yet to come.
Blogs I Follow
