Winter is my favorite time of year to walk and this began a couple of winter’s ago. Walking, for me, is the best form of exercise because every part of the body is pumping. The crisp air fills my lungs as I remember to breathe and inhale deeply.

My favorite jeans are getting baggy around the middle. Over the weekend, I was able to slip on another pair that my belly had outgrown, but they zipped with ease. I’m not trying to lose weight, just my belly and that bloated feeling, so thanks to seeing Dr. Jason it’s diminishing with time.

Walking the winter isn’t a time to be concerned with fashion. Think warm, like you’re bundling up to go run errands, but instead of getting into the warm car, you walk. Tuesday morning I wore, jeans, thick socks with my running shoes, a t-shirt underneath a flannel shirt, a scarf with a windbreaker jacket and leather gloves. It feels colder in the street than standing on the front porch, and the streets can turn into a wind tunnel without warning.

It’s not unusual for me to start shedding layers as my body heats up from the walk, but that morning it was 40℉, so I stayed bundled up. Making my way up the hill toward home, I spot a neighbor sitting on his front porch, in the sunshine, dressed warmly.

He looked at me and laughed, then said, “It’s not THAT cold this morning”, but I knew the secret of how the streets are shaded and it feels colder there than where he was sitting. I had just bumped into another neighbor during my walk and she was bundled up just like me, so she knew how the winds can change and we learned this the hard way.

It’s not fun when the sun slips behind a cloud, the wind picks up and you’re underdressed a mile away from home, so I’d rather wear too much than not enough.

I looked at my neighbor sitting in the sunshine on his front porch, shielded from the wind and noticed his girlfriend wasn’t sitting outside with him. I smiled and wished him a happy day, but couldn’t help but think, “You do what I just did and then we’ll talk.” The next morning it was cloudy and 40℉, so that neighbor wasn’t sitting on his front porch.

I encourage you to put on layers of mismatched clothing and step outside this winter. Your body, mind and spirit will thank you and I haven’t discovered another experience comparable to walking the winter.