My Husband Made Me Do It on the 40th Day of Isolation
No. It’s not what you think, this isn’t that kind of post. For that, you can hop on over to…Just Kidding! Okay, enough with the bad jokes. My husband made me do it on the 40th Day of Isolation, yes. But what did he make me do? Exercise! We got out of the house and went for what turned out to be a very long walk.
I know. You feel a little let down. What’s the big deal, right? In the grand scheme of things, I suppose it’s not a big deal.
But since we NEVER exercise, him less than me, it was pretty surprising, to say the least. Let me explain…
I usually welcome physical activity because I actually love it. I love to feel my body move, feel my blood pumping. When I move, I feel alive, and dancing is at the top of the list.
My husband, on the other hand, could care less. He played softball years back but nowadays, his first thought is not, “Let’s go for a bike ride.”
Exercise is a lifestyle habit that I’ve come to realize we’re not going to share. And Its OK.
In marriage, some battles aren’t worth it. Sometimes #NoWords is best, along with remembering Tip #5 in The 385 Guide to a Happy Life, Everyone is on Their Own Life Path.
So, what’s the problem?
I HAVEN’T EXCERSIZED IN YEARS
Unfortunately, due to, you know…life, I haven’t worked out in 4 years. It’s beginning to take its toll on me physically, but worse than that, mentally.
Yes, I promote Living Your Best Life through this platform, and I obviously believe in the message 100%. But that doesn’t mean I’m impervious to human frailty.
Lately, I’ve been so down in the “dumps”, I stink! EWWW 🦨
I know intellectually how to get out of it, but when you’re in a funk, the funk anchors your spirit. It’s as if the part of your brain that gives a crap is blocked, which sucks, which makes you feel worse, which starts the vicious cycle all over again.
That’s where I’ve been stuck for some time and I’m exhausted. The irony doesn’t elude me. Although, the mental hamster wheel of despondency is tougher on the body than physical exertion.
So when Tom, The Hubster, woke me up and said, “Get up, we’re going out,” I wasn’t all that surprised at first because we usually go for a car ride on the weekends. The What-The moment arrived when he added, “And put your sneakers on.”
SO I PUT MY SNEAKERS ON
But with great pause, mind you.
My high-octane brain computed a couple of quick-fire calculations. I determined:
A (we’re going out) + B (with sneakers ) = C (walking or running). Algebra rules the world, folks!
I instantly ruled out running. Let’s not get crazy with ourselves!
Plus, this equation has an added variable to contend with: I love movement but I abhor running, and Tom knows that.
Happily, I remembered that I bought a walking stick over a year ago for the sole purpose of hiking the many wilderness trails Florida has to offer.
I grabbed the stick, complete with geeky compass, and off we went in a south-by-southeast direction — per the compass, DER.
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Spiritually, I was pumped and ready to apply all the tips in The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs.
Tristan Gooley, Tom, and I were going to have a lot of fun at the shore.
I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO THE BEACH
Therefore, I didn’t put on the right sneakers.
Yes, there is a right kind of sneaker and a wrong kind of sneaker.
The right kind of sneaker is the kind that will protect your feet and body, like these here.
Not the kind that looks cute on your feet and body, like the classic converse pictured here.
That’s not to say the cute ones don’t serve their purpose. They’re just not going to protect your feet. Especially for one with fallen arches; I’m not speaking about myself, but for a friend.
In my defense though, I thought we were going to the beach for a leisurely walk. An easy enough error considering the beach is a usual haunt of ours. But that’s not where we went.
My husband, who hates exercise, took me on a bonafide Walk-With-Purpose at the Brevard Zoo Linear Park Trail.
BREVARD ZOO LINEAR PARK
The linear park is called Linear Park because it’s precisely that. You start at one end of the trail, walk mostly straight down about 3 miles, then walk back for a full 6 miles.
There are mile markers along the way to indicate your progress and you don’t have to go the full 6 miles. Newbies would take advantage of this fact.
But did we do that? Nooooooooo.
We did all 6 miles 🚶♀️🚶♀️🚶♀️
beneath the midday sun ☀️☀️
in 90-degree heat 😩😩
Why? Because it’s what we do. We’re just two wild and crazy guys.
Seriously though, the entire trail is either paved or composite boardwalk and offers wonderful nature views, canopied pathways, and a chance encounter with wildlife in their natural habitat.
While Florida boasts some pretty amazing wildlife, the likeliest encounter here would be with birds, turtles, and maybe an armadillo or two; not alligators or bobcats.
Although, I cannot tell a lie, you have to keep an eye out for those too!
You can walk the trail, ride your bike, rollerblade, skateboard…you get the picture. Obviously, no motorized vehicles.
THE TRAIL IS BEAUTIFUL
It offers a safe, serene way to enjoy the wetlands.
You can take photos, or learn something new from the informative signs you may come across along the way. The signs contain snippets ranging from cultural history to what creatures you might encounter.
Personally, it felt wonderful simply being outside for a change.
I was happy to be out and about, instead of cooped up in my house, in my thoughts, both of which can be dangerous for a creative. My mind tends to wander and — sans inspiration — not always in the direction I want it to go.
I pushed myself to finish all 6 miles and was rewarded with the appearance of a family of giraffes!
No, giraffes aren’t roaming around freely in Florida. There’s a lot we Floridians get made fun of for, and that won’t be added to the list, my friend!
The trail is called the Brevard Zoo Linear Trail because of a partnership with the Zoo and county parks, and the Zoo maintains the trail. Linear Park’s official entrance is also just past the Zoo’s main entrance located in Melbourne, Florida.
There’s a fence keeping us off zoo property, protecting both animals and humans alike. But the herd was clearly visible through the fence.
Said fence was conveniently zoomed out with minor digital manipulation of my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (no I have not upgraded yet).
There was something poetic about watching the giraffes out for their daily walk while I, too, was out for a walk.
I felt connected to them, in that way that all God’s creatures are connected and part of the collective whole. Or maybe I’m just weird.
MOVING ON
I have to be honest about one thing, though. The 6 miles may have pushed it too far the first time out. By the end, I could barely breathe.
However, I felt more alive at that moment than I had in a good, long while. The exercise also offered additional perks:
- It was an activity my husband and I could do together.
- It cleared the cobwebs out of my brain.
- It’s long-lasting: two weeks later and I’m still reaping the benefits.
- I feel alive in spirit.
- There’s a spring in my step.
- The photographer in me was in heaven.
- I’m starting to feel like my old self again.
Is this a one-shot deal?
One walk and I’m flitting about like Snow White?
Of course not! I’m smarter than that.
But these are wonderful things I intend to capitalize on, one step at a time (pun intended).
SO WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE
At the beginning I guess. New chapters are beginning, new leaves are turning.
Believe it or not, Tom purchased a bike rack for my JEEP and we biked the trail the very next week. We’re going again today; as long as it doesn’t rain because we’re not die-hards…yet 😉
I’m also beginning to rethink the original notion that exercise is a lifestyle my husband and I won’t ever share.
What can I say? #NeverSayNever #TheHoneymoonisNeverOver
Be Well!
Cynthia
385Life
Live · Love · Grow
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! ⬇️
Has it been a while since you’ve exercised? If so, what hurdles are you presently facing?
Do you workout with your spouse/partner? Or is this something you’d never do?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
If you’d like to start exercising, walking is a great way to break in slowly. Scroll down for some tools to help you get started and remember to check out any local trails in your neighborhood.
Share your stories! Please share your current goals or pictures on recent walks on our online community, 385 Life Facebook Group.
Remember, sharing is caring if you like this post please consider sharing on Pinterest or Facebook.
AND MORE! ⬇️
Really nice post my friend. Funny too 🙂 That sounds like a really cool place to bike or walk.
Well living here near Montreal, Quebec, Canada, it’s a little different. If it’s a nice winter, I go snowshoeing on a golf course and it’s so pretty. When the weather finally gets warmer (who knows when that will happen) I’ll get my bike out and go find nice trails to enjoy peaceful scenery.
And I do it alone. Husband hasn’t been on his bike in ages. He went to the gym 3 times a week before this crisis. And that’s not my thing. LOL
Walking would be fun if I could do it longer than 20 minutes, but my knees don’t agree.
Will find some pictures to share on the FB group.
🙂
I can imagine the cold Canadian winters can throw a damper on the situation (another pun I intended, apparently I can’t stop myself!). But I am very intrigued by the idea of snowshoeing across a golf course — that sounds like absolute fun! Maybe one day I will visit you in your neck of the woods and we’ll go! Looking forward to the pictures and thanks for sharing!
Awesome and funny story .. personally knowing the writer and the spouse .. it seemed more humorous to me than it might to someone else .. but none the less amazing writing .. keep up the fantastic work !
Thanks, love! And yes, you would have been cracking up, just like we have for the past 3 weeks. We’ve gone back twice now, so I’m hoping it’s a new trend. I’ll keep you posted!
Six miles of walking after not doing exercise in a long time sounds like torture for sure. But I’m impressed you did it. You did have a gorgeous view during the walk and after it. Thank you for sharing the pictures with us.
It was insane! But honestly, my husband was so excited about it, about the walk, being out, being with me, that I kept going for him, to encourage him, and that giving spirit surely made it easier…it’s funny the things we can do in service of someone else!