Day 1: Healthy Hope's SMART Walking Mission

Hey y'all. Healthy Hope is on the scene again, taking charge of mental and physical care. I have to say, I am feeling pretty righteous and alert for 8:30 in the morning. (I'm soooo not a morning person.) I went for a walk this morning. It feels revolutionary, and I'm hoping that turns out to indeed be the case. I'm in intensive treatment for mental health issues right now and also under an internal medicine doctor's supervision regarding some physical problems as well. Based on my treatment team's suggestion, my own past experience, a TED Talk I watched recently, and encouragement from friends, I've decided to make walking a mile with my dog, Leon, first thing every morning a goal. Today was Day 1.

I used the SMART system to set the goal:

Specific: I will walk Leon for 30 minutes every morning at 7:15 a.m. for one month. (If it rains, I'll do 30 minutes of yoga in my bedroom using videos on my laptop. After one month, I will increase to 45 minutes a day. After another month, I will increase to 1 hour.)

Measurable: Using my Wellness Tracker from DBSA, I'll document whether or not I've done this daily.

Achievable: I know I can do 30 minutes of activity at my current fitness level. It fits into my schedule. I bought new shoes and plantar fasciitis-fighting inserts for them to prevent injury that could derail my efforts. My neighborhood is safe for walking. It's cooler in the mornings, so I'll less likely be deterred by the heat.

Relevant: I need to do this for several reasons. It will help raise my good cholesterol, lower my blood glucose levels, help me reach a healthy weight, improve my mood and concentration, help me sleep better, and benefit Leon.

Time-bound: I have scheduled this first thing in the morning before anything can happen to distract me from the walk. I'm giving myself a generous interval to get used to the activity before increasing its length. This should be a lifelong habit, so there's no end date.

I have to say, I feel righteous after this morning's walk. My friend Julie shared with me that exercising in the morning sets her up for the day with a feeling of accomplishment. So true. I'm looking forward to seeing the benefits of this new habit.