3 Reasons Why Pedometers Are Better Than Xanax

God, this is a stressful time. My body’s buzzing with so much tension, I want to reach for a Xanax, two shots of tequila, or both. But the other day, I found something in my desk drawer, something small and plastic and gray. Something I’d forgotten about. I clipped it onto my waist band and before long, felt better…

Yes, I found my pedometer, one of those devices that count the number of steps you take.

The goal is to reach 10,000 a day, equivalent to five miles. That’s not easy, but the point is to do your best. I soon learned with a pedometer that everything is relative.

My fit, healthy 86-year-old mom is happy to get 4,000 steps in a day. Meanwhile, a colleague of my son Paul, who works in a commercial kitchen, clocks 10,000… before noon!

After a few days of using a pedometer, here are three things I like…

A New Focus – Instead of constantly checking the news, Facebook, or Twitter, I now check in with my pedometer. In its own way, it absorbs some of the anxiety — or maybe it’s just the ramped up walking and exercise. I’m constantly peeking to see what the tally is, conscious that if I take the long way to the bedroom, through the kitchen and down the hall, steps will go up. I find this new focus strangely comforting.

Its Physically and Mentally Healthy – The act of walking is meditative, whether it’s outdoors or doing “house hikes” (yes, walking repetitive laps around our home like a crazy person) to try and keep things moving. Before the pedometer, I’d ignore my restless body if I was vegging out in front of the computer or flipping through the Kindle on my reading chair. Now if I feel the need to move, I get up, if nothing else, to add more steps. The obsessive part of my brain likes that.

It’s Easy – Every night I take off and reset Mr. Pedometer, and put him on my bureau. In the morning, I clip him onto my pajamas. Too early to get out the walking measuring device? Hey, those early trips to and from the kitchen for coffee and orange juice are prime “pedometer padding” times. Why not count them? At night, there’s something satisfying about seeing I didn’t do too badly and putting the device back on the bureau.

The jury’s out on weight loss (fingers crossed) but that’s almost a side benefit. These days I’m grateful for anything that takes me away from one more “Breaking News!” story.

Yes, I needed help from the constant hold-your-breath tension of the past weeks? months? years?.  But who knew? To the rescue came my humble, little pedometer.

Do you use a pedometer or walk for exercise? Comments are always welcome and if you like, please share. If you’d like to receive posts by email, just press here.