For the past eight years, I’ve taken the theory of daily exercise to a high level. I walk between 4 to 6 times per week religiously, racking in up 3 to 5 miles and sometimes longer, which works out to be around a two hours duration per jaunt. When you spend two months between a hospital bed and wheelchair, you begin to appreciate the small things. In my case, its walking. I can sniff out a good trail just about anywhere that I go in my travels. I find walking to be extremely therapeutic with both physical and mental benefits. It’s easy to get out of an exercise regiment after a serious injury. I fell into that very trap going from an avid skier, snowboarder, tennis player, runner, in line skater, and golfer to loosing interest in many of these activities after my surgery. Getting out and about is a huge part of the recovery process. It’s the first way that I gained a sense of independence after my stroke. It all started with short strolls down my driveway to the mailbox each day, then small journeys around my neighborhood and so on. Now I walk pretty much everywhere in the city. I don’t have a car here, nor do I need/want one for the most part. The point is to get out there and see the world! Don’t allow a disability of any size or shape dictate how you live your life.
If I’m not at home and you need to find me in Dallas, chances are I’m on the Katy Trail. With awesome views of the city skyline, the Katy is the remains of an old railroad stretch which was given to the city in 1993 by the Union Pacific Railroad. This “Rails to Trails” concept stretches five miles from the SMU campus, through uptown, dumping out at the American Airlines Center in the heart of the city.
