Walking on Cobblestones
When I was in Mexico I lost a big chunk of weight and reduced my bulk by two clothing sizes. It didn’t seem like I did any dieting or exercising at all … and I was totally surprized when I came home and weighed myself.
My diet consisted of all teh great fresh veggies and fruits in the local markets. There was a surprizing LACK of sweet things which helped me easily maintain a very healthy eating plan.
My exercise plan was even easier. I didn’t have a vehicle, so I took the local bus (an adventure in itself) or I walked. In the area of Mexico I was staying in, the only paved street was the main roadway through town. All other streets were either dirt roads or cobblestone streets.
Even before I left for Mexico, I had heard about a study that indicated that walking on cobblestones could reduce your blood pressure.
A surprising reduction in blood pressure has been achieved in 16 weeks in a group of normally physically inactive elderly men and women who had regular sessions of walking on mats that replicated smooth, rounded cobblestones, Oregon researchers report in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Personally, I think that the lowering of blood pressure is because when you are walking on cobblestones you have to concentrate on what you are doing in the moment. No time to be stressing about other stuff because the moment your attention wanders you could find yourself flat on your face or bum.
All it took to lose the weight and firm up the tush was walking around town for an hour or so a day. Some routes had slight inclines that definitely got my heart pumping.
My challenge after coming home to Vancouver has been in maintaining the healthy eating plan … and the walking plan. It has not been the same walking on all the great sidewalks and paven roadways, which is too bad! I am managing to keep the weight off, but have stalled in the “continuing to loose” quest.
So imagine my surprize when I found an Amazon product that is supposed to stimulate the effect of walking on cobblestone streets.
