I’ve had a number of people ask me what I have done to lose so much weight. Right now, I’ve lost about 60 pounds in five and a half months, so the change is noticeable enough that people want to know the secret. I usually joke, with a large chunk of truth, that I simply stopped eating chips and fries. While that is a large part of it, I also developed a very healthy habit of exercising at least 5 times, usually 7 times, per week. Tae Bo had been a mainstay of my routine during the colder winter months, when my favorite exercise, walking, wasn’t practical.

Now that spring is upon us, I’m back to walking. First off, let me explain why I like walking so much. About seven summers ago, I decided I wanted to start running. So with a friend of mine, I started running 3.5 miles per day, and slowly worked my way up to 5 miles per day. As expected, I improved greatly throughout the summer, and by the end, I had lost weight and improved stamina. It had come at a price, though. My knees and ankles took a beating. Even making sure I had proper running shoes, had no effect. By the end, my running had become painful to do, and as such, I fell out of the habit quickly.

Walking is a much easier habit to maintain. It’s low impact, it’s easy to prepare for, and best of all, I can supplement my walking with music, radio, or audio books. I have found the best way to keep the walking habit is having something to listen to the whole way. I have three things that I have used. First, I use my fiance Kelly’s mp3 player when I want to listen to music. Every model she’s had, has kept at least 1,000 songs, and that’s plenty of variety. She also doesn’t listen to crap, so I can enjoy whatever she puts on. Secondly, I have a little mp3 player of my own, that’s very light and convenient for putting on audio books. I listen to a lot of audio books, and I should add podcasts to the list as well. Lastly, I have a portable adaptor for my XM Radio that allows me to listen to the XM while I walk. It’s great.

I don’t think you have to get all three to enjoy walking, but I would suggest getting at least one. My small mp3 player goes for less than $75.00 in the store, and can store 512Mb worth of files. That’s a lot of audio books, and also, enough music to listen to while walking. The price, though, is insignificant to the price that one will pay for a lifetime of being overweight. Paying $500.00 for an mp3 player would be worth it if it kept you to the walking routine.

I am positive my lifestyle change will add a mininum of 10 years to my life. I fully expect to reach 80 years of age now. I probably will not have a heart attack. The risk for diabetes is nil now. With my routine of walking, I expect to be able to maintain an active lifestyle for as long as I live. I look and feel better now, a few months before my 31st birthday, than I did before my 21st. Even though I find every now and then, a grey or white hair, I feel so much better, I just don’t care. Walking has taken ten years off my age, and added at least 10 years to my lifespan.

So go get an audio player, a sensible pair of sneakers, and walk your way to an eighty year lifespan.