Car vs. Pedestrian

Don’t worry, I haven’t been in an accident. But I do have a car for the next 2 weeks. Usually I am a pedestrian. In fact, I haven’t owned a car in over 20 years. And being a pedestrian is a great way to sneak some extra exercise into your day without really noticing it.

To get to my work every morning I can either take 3 buses and get there in an hour and a half, or I can take one bus, walk 30 minutes and still get there in an hour and a half. So I choose to walk. It may only burn 154 calories, but every calorie counts. The difference with having a car?  I can drive there in less then 15 minutes.

So now that we have a friend’s car for 2 weeks, I’m not walking 30 minutes every day. I’m not even walking the 2 blocks to the mall if I need something. The convenience of hopping in the car and getting somewhere quickly is too strong for me to say no to. You would think that with all the time I’m gaining back by driving places would mean that I have more time to work out or even gasp! go for a walk. But somehow that doesn’t seem to be what happens.

I need to find that happy balance….. Enjoying the handiness of a car without sacrificing my goal of getting fit.