If you feel the fitness tension on days like today, I have two stories for you.

Welcome to Walking is Fitness. This is a podcast of action, providing a little extra motivation

to help you keep that fitness promise you made to yourself. Hi, I'm Dave. I've been walking for fitness since 2013, averaging about 21,000 steps a day.

I'm walking right now and I would love to have you join me for the next 10 minutes.

Story number one happened exactly one year ago today last Christmas.

Dave and I were in Maryland staying with our son and daughter-in-law.

Their two children, our grandchildren.

Connor, five years old at the time.

Riley, three.

And as I tend to do, I woke up early on Christmas morning, went into the kitchen, made some coffee,

and made a decision. Typically, morning is when I go out for my walk. But I didn't know how that

day was going to unfold, how the morning was going to unfold. I didn't know what time

Connor and Riley were going to wake up. I didn't know if this was

going to be an early start or a later start. I just didn't know and I didn't want to miss it.

Or I didn't want everyone else to have to wait for me. So I made the decision not to go for a walk.

Instead, sat in the kitchen, drank some coffee, and enjoyed the peace and quiet before everyone got up.

Turns out, I could have gone for a walk.

I didn't know that.

I could have.

But everyone eventually woke up, made their way downstairs,

and Connor and Riley opened their gifts, and it was wonderful. It was wonderful, just being there

and enjoying that with them. From there, we went to my niece's house for the big family Christmas brunch.

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