Walk for health, walk for joy , win a book

Yes, walking truly is one of the best things you can do for overall better health including weight loss. And yes, the more you do it the more you will want to do it. My recommended daily minimum of two 30-minute walks each day is a starting point and a great habit to develop. But beyond that walking can open up a whole new world you have been missing.

You will see things you never saw before, you will experience things and even meet people that can add great joy and depth to your life. Whether you are a city dweller or farmer, whether you live in the east or the west, the north or the south we are surrounded by immense magic all around us and walking reveals it like nothing else can. I want to hear your walking adventures but let me begin by sharing two of mine.

A couple of years ago now I went with my youngest daughter Kari to New York City. One day we took the subway to lower Manhattan where we visited the 9/11 memorial. It was a very moving experience we will never forget, as was our journey back to our hotel. We decided to ignore the subway and walk back to Times Square a distance of about four miles.

Along the way we walked through Tribeca, home to dozens of super stars such as Robert De Niro and Taylor Swift and the annual Tribeca Film Festival. We walked through Chinatown and found ourselves in Little Italy where we enjoyed some world class food and one cheat — the world’s finest cannoli.

We walked right by Washington Square Park then to and beyond the Empire State Building before arriving at Times Square and our nearby hotel. It was well over an hour of immersion in the magnificent sights and sounds of New York City. Had we taken the subway or even a tour bus we would have missed all of that and we would also have denied ourselves some great exercise as well. Great food, great fun and great exercise.

One of the most popular and well-known hiking trails west of the Mississippi is Runyon Canyon above Hollywood. It combines both a rural and urban feel and is enjoyed by thousands of locals and visitors alike every day. But I have a personal secret in the hills above Burbank. It is a fire road that winds its way up and around the hills above Burbank and parts of Los Angeles.

At various points along the way you lose all contact with the urban environment and you become completely at one with nature. Then you turn a corner and below you is a sweeping view of the city. It is everything at once and you cannot experience it in a car or on a boat or in an airplane, but only on an utterly riveting walk pretty much alone or shared with whoever may join you. Great exercise, magnificent scenery and I have even spotted a bald eagle on a few of my walks. Perfect!

So do indeed walk for health and also for joy and then share your walking experience to inspire others. Please write and email your favorite walking experience to me at: helloronirwin@gmail.com. Where did you walk, what did you see, how long was your walk and anything else you want to reveal.

Please include a few photos with your email. Submissions will be accepted now though November 10^th 2016 and the winner will receive a free copy of Lose Live the ultimate guide to good health and weight loss. Your story will also appear in this publication. Together we can feel great and begin to win the war on obesity and ill health.

You can, at any time, get your very own copy of my true and real guide to effective and permanent weight loss, Lose Live available at lulu.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Just be sure to keep checking in right here for regular updates. And if you have a question or comment for me please send your email to: helloronirwin@gmail.com

Copyright © 2016 Ron Irwin

Photos by Ron Irwin; Top photo: A walking trail above Burbank and Los Angeles

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