I am a grandmother of seven, and very thankful for “every walk I take.” At the age of 35 I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease that was progressing rapidly. One day it put me right in bed for about two weeks with 2 nasty disc bulges.
My sports doctor suggested I walk 2 to 3 miles every day. Since we lived on a country road, my husband insisted on accompanying me as I was starting out on my new fitness program. Very slow at first, but as time progressed, so did our speed and strength. We noticed our marital relationship began to be enriched as we spent that quality time together without distractions. We raised our daughters and hopefully have set a lifelong example as to the health benefits of daily exercise.
During the snowy and icy season, we have found various YouTube channels to be a wonderful help for motivation to complete our morning walks in the living room.
Now in our 60s we are looking forward to those warm spring days and getting back out on the road!
Lauri Van Osdol is a wife, mother, and Nana who splits her time between the north woods of the Upper Peninsula and Appleton, WI.