Due to my frugal/cheap nature, I was one of the last humans to give
up my dumb phone from Tracfone in favor of a smart phone I still
cheaped out, buying the least expensive iPhone, an SE (small edition). I
justified my lesser spending on the basis that it fits better in my
hand and pocket (which it does). Even I have to admit, however, that I
really like some of my apps that were not previously available to me
with the old flip phone.
One of the features that I recently discovered was the default
“health” app, which combines with the pedometer app to keep track of my
steps/mileage. I don’t believe the pedometer is completely accurate,
but it’s close enough. What I immediately determined was that there
were quite a few days when I just wasn’t getting off my butt. As a
result, I set 10,000 steps per day as a goal.
That works out to be
about 4-5 miles, and I frequently exceed that by quite a bit. The major
benefit to me is that I no longer have very many days when I don’t get
in the 10,000 steps. If it’s 3 pm., and I’m still “in the red”, I make
every effort to get enough steps in to get “into the green” and make the
confetti rain in the app. Kind of silly, I know, but the app keeps me
from sedentary days, especially helpful when it’s wet or cold.
The main gun deer hunting season is over, so I am back at my regular
hikes on the Ice Age Trail. Today, I ambled from the the Lodi Cannery
property off Hwy 113 to the bluff overlooking the Lodi Marsh.
I don’t generally hike with a hiking stick or poles, but I change
that up during the winter when the trail is snowy or icy. I use a pair
of cross-country ski poles that I kept after giving up cross-country
skiing. The poles definitely give me more of an upper body workout on
the uphills and provide balance for moving more rapidly on the
downhills.
Frankly, I love this time of year for hiking. There are so many
positives. I rarely see anyone else hiking. No bugs. I don’t get too
hot or cold. I burn lots of calories. Plus, cold air is so wonderful
to breathe. There is a freshness to the air that one doesn’t encounter
in the summer. The dry prairie winter colors are amazing to me.
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