Winter walking for health and fitness

It is an early winter in the North Country of New Hampshire. Today is a relatively warm (34 degrees) day, and the ground is covered with a few inches of snow. There is limited sun, but overall, it is a "blue bird" day up here.

The road I walk is plowed, but a layer of snow is maintained to please the snowmobile crowd. The first part of the walk is a steep climb, so metal cleats and walking sticks are almost a necessity for a guy approaching 82 years of age.

I discard sunglasses for the walk since limited sunlight into the eyes is a good thing for positive brain chemistry and therefore, better sleep patterns. Coyote tracks in the snow are everywhere, revealing the increase in their numbers, although they are rarely seen up here - being mostly nocturnal and wanting no part of humans. There is an open hunting season, year round for them in New Hampshire, and no bag limit.

I walk year round for pleasure and recreation, but also for weight management and cardiovascular fitness. An aortic valve replacement almost four years ago was a reminder that your heart, which beats 86,400 times per day, needs attention. I had zero symptoms prior to the surgery, and my surgeon told me that my first symptom may have been to drop dead. Scary stuff!

To me, at least, walking is next in line in importance to breathing, drinking fluids and eating solid food. It is a fact that walkers live longer than those that eschew the activity. Winter cold, snow, ice and wind don't exactly bekon me to leave the warm couch and traverse hills. But the rewards outweigh the negatives.

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