Purposeful Wandering (with Occasional Dramatic Flair)

Once upon a time, I tried to be a “serious exerciser.” You know the type, focused, determined, possibly glaring at a treadmill as if it had personally offended me. The treadmill, for the record, did not apologize. It just kept moving. I decided very quickly that if exercise required negotiating with a machine, we were not going to be friends.

So I took my talents… outside. 🌿

Out there, things make much more sense. The ground stays still (very helpful), the trees mind their business, and the breeze occasionally cheers me on without yelling. My version of exercise is what I like to call “purposeful wandering with excellent intentions.” Sometimes I walk. Sometimes I bike. Sometimes I dramatically pick up the pace because a song told me I am unstoppable (results may vary).

If I’m alone, I’m either praying or listening to music that convinces me I could climb a mountain… or at least make it to the end of the street without reconsidering my life choices. If I’m with someone else, we walk and talk, which is really just exercise disguised as good conversation. Very clever.

I also enjoy dancing, but only the kind where no one is watching and no one expects coordination. If you have ever seen someone confidently dancing and slightly off-beat, just know: that is a person fully committed to joy. That is the level we are aiming for. No line dancing. No patterns. Just vibes.

So no, I don’t “work out.” I go outside, I move around, I breathe fresh air, and occasionally I pretend I am in a movie montage. And somehow, without any yelling, machines, or suffering… it still counts.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

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