I had plenty of company at the Start! Heart Walk on Sept. 19

Any exercise program is more successful if you can keep it from getting boring, tedious, and routine. So when my opportunity to participate in the American Heart Association Start! Walk came around this year, I jumped on it. I have always liked participating in this annual 2.5-mile event held in September because it is certainly a worthy cause affecting so many people, either directly or indirectly. (Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women, and according to The Center for Disease Control, heart disease will cost the United States $316.4 billion in 2010? This total factors in the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.)

I especially liked walking this year because it integrates so well into the posture and core-defining program I

Bethlehem Mayor John Callaghan kicks off the festivities

am already doing. This is my fourth year with the walk, but the first year I have been doing it while also living a heart-healthy lifestyle. In years past, just after the walk, I would reward my effort with some sort of treat, usually of the cake or pastry variety, figuring that I had already “walked it off.” Silly me. My present gluten-free diet pretty much negates any reward of that sort.

I also figured that this would be the perfect opportunity to put into practice all the things my trainer John Bolesta, has been working on with me. In fact, I invited John to join me and my friends, Denise Conlin and Jean Shenk, on the walk this year. (I also invited my posture-perfect inspiration Jamie Gottschall). With every step, I was careful to make sure that I was not “hunch-walking,” or letting my rounded shoulders and slouched mid-section lead the way. It was easy to see how “not” to walk, as there were plenty of people doing that. I just kept watching how Jamie was walking and tried to follow suit.

My heart-healthy bunch: Jean, Denise, John, and Jamie

It’s funny each year I do this walk I think it gets shorter and shorter. It seems to go quicker every year. This year, it seemed to barely have started and we were already finished. Yes, it is still the same 2.5 mile loop, but this year, it is a different me. This year, I think my walk was more effective because I was mindful of how my body was aligned while I was walking. Yes, this takes more effort and requires you to be diligent, but we do not experience change unless we are conscious of it.

I did not stop afterward this year for my usual Sunday diner fare brunch. No, instead I went to Wegmans. I bought some veggie staples and made a delicious omelet with spinach and tomato when I got home. My treat was a one-half cup serving of Wegmans fat free cottage cheese with pineapple-and the beauty of knowing that I already definitely “walked that off.”

It’s not too late to donate! If you weren’t able to get out and walk yesterday, you can still contribute to the American Heart Association Start! Heart Walk here.