Presenting Your New Years Resolution and Mine: Walk More in 2018

[The top of the bluff as viewed from the bottom.]

New Years’ resolutions are almost impossible to keep. Often they are too difficult, ambitious, or represent too large a change. But for the vast majority of people in the Twin Cities, here’s a simple idea that will work no matter where you live or who you are: walk more in 2018.

There are so many reasons to walk more, but the simplest ones are these:

Walking is healthy and keeps you active
Walking is relaxing and meditative
Walking helps you experience the city more closely

Walking is central to this blog that I’ve been writing for over ten years. The whole reason I started it is that I thought that everyone int he Twin Cities, myself included, should walk more. It's still true. Even though I’ve been trying to walk more for ten years, I still need to walk more.

Since 2018 began, I have tried walking more, even in the coldest months of winter. For example, I’ve tried to walk downtown from my house more often. It’s an ideal distance for walking for me because it’s a place I need to go quite often for meetings or errands or to go to the gym. The distance from downtown to my house is somewhere around 1and ¾ miles, but could be more than that depending on which exact route I take and where in downtown I’m going.

Believe it or not, that’s kind of a perfect distance for a walk.

For example, if I’m heading to City Hall, just over the Wabasha Bridge, I can get the walk done in good non-icy conditions in just under half an hour. By contrast, biking , driving, and walking that distance might all take about ten minutes, so walking is not that much more of a time commitment, and you get all the benefits.

Not to mention that it’s a pretty pleasant walk, unless it’s incredibly windy. Some of the things I love about it:

Seeing downtown from the bluff as I head out of my house. It’s amazing to see City Hall or the 1st Bank Building just sitting there, and knowing that there’s a river valley laying between us.

Walking the curving sidewalks down Wabasha Street and seeing how the skyline, the trees, and the bluffs play with each other and shift perspective.

(At night, I love seeing this view in reverse, especially in the winter when the homes along the bluff ridge are lit up.)

Crossing over the river itself, looking out at the river valley in both directions, and looking down at the water and Raspberry Island.

Arriving in downtown and being greeted by the lovely buildings along the river, especially along 4th Street.

Here are some pics:

[The view of downtown from my part of the bluff.]

[A lovely building halfway down the bluff.]

[The part where the sidewalk goes from well-shoveled to not.]

[A snow mountain that reminds me of previous sidewalk games.]

[The Mississippi River.]

I’ve probably done this walk once a week since 2018 began, but I need to walk more. Twice a week would be great. I’ve only fallen once on the ice, and honestly, I have some good winter coats so I haven’t gotten too cold.

The point is that you probably need to walk more too! Go online and draw a two-mile circle around your home. Maybe next time you head out to a place inside the circle, you might try walking?

Imagine a whole year where you walked more. I think you'll like it.