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Because I live so far from the school where I teach, I spend an inordinate amount of time driving alone, roughly two and a half hours to three hours daily. That quiet time is great for thinking, great for listening to music or books on tape, or even great for talking on the phone on rural roads occassionally. That quiet time, however, is terrible for my health. Awaking at 4:00 every morning, arriving home around 5:00 every afternoon, and going to bed around 9:00 leaves very little time to exercise.
By the time I get home in the afternoon, I have a list of things I need to get done, and exercise falls farther and farther down my list until it falls off my list half the time.
So, last week I decided to learn a new skill: walking and grading. Since my planning period is before school, I have at least 30 minutes to walk the building in total silence long before most teachers or students arrive. Of course, since I have lots of grading and reading to do, I don’t have the time to walk exclusively for 30 minutes. If, however, I keep practicing, I should be able to walk and grade or walk and read simultaneously.
I know I won’t be a fast walker as I walk the halls and grade, but I will be much faster than I currently am as I sit at my desk and grade. Walking slowly and deliberately may not be the best way to walk, but it’s much better than sitting.
So, here’s my new goal. I’m going to walk and grade 20-30 minutes each morning before 7:00.
For now, I think I better stay away from the stairs.
