TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
“I’M NOT WALKING AT THE MALL.” My walking buddy’s tone made it clear that no argument could convince her otherwise. Heeding the advice to strive for 10,000 steps every day, our intrepid group had been walking every morning since February when the June heat shut us down completely. It was just too hot. I had brought up the idea of walking at the mall, and she had shut that down, too. Eventually, my need for my daily steps drove me to announce to the group that I would be walking at Central Mall the next day, and anyone who wanted to join me was welcome. To my surprise, our nay-sayer showed up. As we headed to the parking lot an hour later, she enthusiastically suggested we return the following morning. Clearly, she had enjoyed it. I asked her what it was that made her think she did not want to walk at the mall. “I thought it would just be a bunch of old people,” she replied. A little background to put her comment in perspective: She and I can both remember the Eisenhower administration. I wanted to ask her if she had checked her driver’s license lately, but I thought better of it. We had indeed encountered some fellow seniors on our walk. Some were even older than we are, and a few made us feel downright youthful. There were, however, plenty of walkers of all ages there that day, the quest for 10,000 steps not exclusive to any particular age group. Some were strolling, and others were walking at such a fast clip they made little whooshing noises when they passed us. There were singles and pairs, with one couple walking sweetly hand-in-hand. Some were in groups of five or six, engaging in animated discussion punctuated by raucous laughter. They all greeted each other—and us—like family. Though the stores were not yet open, the lights in the mall shone brightly. The temperature was perfect, and the walking surface was even and smooth. The presence of a friendly security guard made us feel safe. There was music, as well as a restroom. It was sort of a walker’s nirvana. We were hooked. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has called walking “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug” for good health. Regular walking can cut your risk of heart disease by thirty percent and reduce your risk of diabetes and cancer to boot. It can lower your blood pressure while elevating your mood. It is known to fend off osteoporosis and is thought to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. You might ask, why walk at the mall when there are so many beautiful walking paths in our area? To be sure, walking outside has added benefits. You can get a little vitamin D from the sun and a mood boost that, believe it or not, results from surrounding yourself with greenery. All of that is not lost on me, and when the weather is gorgeous, you’ll find me out on the trails soaking up the great outdoors. Seventy degrees and sunny, however, is not a year- round occurrence here in northeast Texas. Many is the
MY DRIFT COLUMN BY PATSY MORRISS Today’s 10,000
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LIFE & STYLE
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