Exercise and Knitting

I hate to exercise. I can think of several good reasons why not to work up a sweat. But health wise, I really needed to start moving. So, I walk. But walking is boring, especially on a treadmill. Yes the gym had TV’s on, but I’m really not into the whole Kardashian thing, and the last thing I want to do is watch the news and just get more depressed. So I tried reading and walking, nope that was not going to work. I couldn't keep my place on the page I was reading. So running out of options, I thought…hummm…why not try knitting and walking? Angels singing, birds chirping, it worked!

Now the trick is to plan your project, it needs to be small and fairly uncomplicated. I do socks. The yarn fits nicely in the holder on the treadmill panel, and then I still have another one for my bottle of water. Pick an easy pattern, or no pattern at all just knit a plain no frills sock. The other thing is use the “magic loop” or circular needles while knitting. Double pointed needles can get tricky, especially when one accidentally drops. A treadmill belt and sharp pointy sticks is a meeting that is just not going to end well. Toe up or cuff down, I’ve knit both methods while walking on the “dreadmill”. And yes, I do get some double looks from other treadmill walkers. But they do their thing, and I’m just doing mine.

The goal was to get moving, it doesn't have to be super fast. I walk at about a 3.0 speed on a 1.5 incline, for about 2 miles, if I’m feeling super energetic I might go an extra mile on a .5 incline. Over the past year, it has added up to make an18 pound loss difference in my weight. To me the treadmill and knitting has become a happy marriage of time well spent. I get to do something I like, while doing something I really really don’t like.