Tuesday 17 April 2007

Pic of the day: Proof that I've been outdoors! This field is approximately 20-25 minutes walk from home.

Spring walking

I admit it: I did not walk as much during the winter. The roads were icy, and it was dark when I came home from work. There were walls of snow on the shoulder of the road. I just did not feel like it. While I didn't entirely hibernate through the dark and cold season, I was less active. I also put on some weight. At the end, I was back to a BMI (body mass index) of over 24.

As at least the women among you probably know, "normal" is a BMI from 18.5 to 25, overweight from 25 to 30, and obesity from 30 and up. The average American tends to fall in the "overweight" range even in their twenties and increase from there, while various European nations mostly trail a bit behind this but still growing out of the "normal" range in most cases. In other words, "normal" is not normal as in "most people" but rather in its older meaning of normative, a norm being roughly the same as a guideline or recommended behavior. Or perhaps the medical profession lives in its own little dream world, perhaps the good old days where people had to bike to work. I don't know. It could even be that they liked the round number of 25, while the point where people are visibly overweight tends to be around 27-28. If so, the obesity threshold of 30 may also be based on the round number rather than the round people.

OK, reasonable little rant aside, it can probably not actually hurt to have a body mass index under 25 unless you have hard physical work. So I don't force myself to lie down when the sun shines, but rather walk for an hour or at least a half once or twice a day. This, according to the experts, is enough to convince the body that it is still inhabited. Most notably, the balance of lipoproteins in the blood change so that less fat settle on the inside of the arteries. (Making the existing fatty plaques go away requires far harsher measures, which I'm currently not motivated to take.)

Besides, walking is relaxing and gives me lots of ideas. It can even be fun if I bring along suitable music. Having time where I am forced to do nothing else but just keep walking. Of course I can still think, and tend to do so, whether it is planning a journal entry or revising my strategy in some game, or (less likely) reflecting on the latest entries in One Cosmos. But sometimes I don't really have anything I want to think about, and so I just walk along, watching the greening of the trees, and letting my brain defragment after its hectic days at home and at work. My brisk walk pumps blood not just through the brain but also arms and legs, hands and feet, a good thing according to my doctor. He's probably right about that, since my wrist is a lot better than it was in the years when I was the most passive. (Not healed by any means, and this is one of the worst times of the year for my wrist, April and May and November. But not so bad that I can't write long entries about small things.)

When the summer comes, it will probably be too hot for long walks, most days. That's how the last few summers have been at least, here on the south coast of Norway. And it is a safe bet that if the sun is not searing hot, it is most likely raining. So I better enjoy these mild spring days to the fullest!

Oh, and I really need to get new shoes. The ones I have now are two years old and heavily used. Both of them have a hole on the toe, the shock absorbing gel is long since pressed flat and useless, and the soles are worn unevenly. (Like most people, I don't put equally much pressure on all parts of my foot.) Still, it is the best shoes I have had since childhood, possibly ever. They don't gnaw on my foot at all. That is almost like a miracle after years of even fairly expensive shoes gnawing my heels to blisters. I was back to the shop (Löplabbet in Kristiansand) months ago, but the young boy there seemed confused as to the shoes. He did not think they had them, which would be acceptable if he had known that they used to have them. I keep thinking about returning, hoping to get a more experienced worker, but then I get to work and forget it. It is more that the shop is in a part of town I don't often go anymore, not that I can't afford it. It is not a running expense, after all... just a walking expense!