Namitha's Notions

Have you ever…

Have you ever wondered?
What’s around that corner?
Is there a mountain, steep and high?
Is there a valley deep under?

Have you ever been at crossroads?
With two roads to make a choice,
One that has been travelled oft before,
One with new beginnings and surprise.

Have you ever walked alone?
With only your thoughts for company,
Watching the the world as you pass by,
Roads one or too many.

Have you ever walked in a group?
Sharing fun, fitness and friendship,
Inspiring one another each day,
Meeting goals to accomplish.

Have you ever thought all this?
And wondered how it could be?
Then come join #happyfeetwalkersclub
Its perfect for thee…

Ushasri's Wit

The Lazy Monster

I am lazy! There I said it.  The Lazy Monster that lives within all of us is quite strong within me.  I used to be more active but after moving to Chicago 5 years ago and quitting my job so that I could focus on my family, I simply let the Lazy Monster grow even bigger. (He really is quite ugly if you want to know!)  When we first moved to Naperville, I joined a gym and was quite determined to be healthy, but as the days passed and that Lazy Monster started to roar, I felt like I would take a small, itsy-bitsy break.  Surely after a week of rest I would go back to the gym – right? Wrong! The Lazy Monster got even stronger and I grew lazier. I quit my gym membership, full of promises that it would be easier to squeeze in exercise at home with exercise videos and Youtube……But I never did.  The Lazy Monster had officially taken over my life.  For those of you who have never seen this fellow (I think my friend Namitha may not have:) ) let me describe him for you – he is Big, LOUD, Persuasive, and constantly fills me with Self- Doubt.

When this group started, I have to say that I initially didn’t leap into it, of course that darn lazy monster was roaring in my ear with reasons as to why I would not succeed.  But my friend Lakshmy actually took the time to call me and ask me why I still hadn’t agreed to join.  I had no good excuse.  Still I didn’t walk – I saw that the other girls were already walking so much – The Lazy Monster roared, “How will you keep up?”  Finally after a week of watching the collages pile up, and people cheering each other on, I decided I would not make time to walk, but just walk when I was waiting for my kids to finish a class.  So when my daughter had volleyball class, I took a walk with my son – only 1.5 miles.  It felt AMAZING!  AWESOME! I had given my Lazy Monster a swift kick in the butt.

The Happy Feet encouragement I got from my first walk was enough to keep me going.  I walked again the next time I was sitting around waiting for my kids to finish a class.  I went farther than before.  Then  I walked again the next day.  I was kicking and punching my Lazy monster in the face and it felt GREAT! The next day I got out my beloved bike and went biking for a few miles – something I had not really done all summer.  From that I time I have been walking or biking at least 4 to 5 times a week. Sometimes more but definitely not less.

My lazy monster has not left of course, but he is smaller, grumpier, and green with jealousy over all I have done.  Most days I can’t hear him as I put on my walking shoes or pull out my bike because the voices of my fellow Happy Feet Ladies are so loud and strong.

If anyone else has let The Lazy Monster take over their life – join us and together we can help give it a swift punch in the gut and help you on the path to a happier, healthier YOU!

Namitha's Notions

Take the first step

Not a step behind you,
Not a step ahead of you,
All we wish for is
To take every step with you.

There is a long road ahead,
Twists and turns, hills and vales
Lets journey together,
Lets join the trail.

Bring along your fun,
Trade in some fitness,
Friendship is a bonus,
Shoo away the laziness!!!!

The ladies in red,
With their claps and smiles,
We will walk together
Devouring countless miles.

I have taken the first step,
Ready to take yours??
Join the #happyfeetwalkersclub,
And lets make it ours.

Namitha's Notions

Getting back on track is never too late!

Hi, I am Garima ! Living in America for the past 14 years, super busy with married life and kids, I never gave importance to personal health.

Every New Year i made this resolution for being more active but actually never did. Being a stay at home mom I always found myself more surrounded with never ending list of jobs, more than any CEO of a big company.

But from the past one year life actually took a turn for good when I decided to go back to the gym and start workout.
But this wasn’t enough, working with a trainer I realized exercise is more fun when you have company.

Then suddenly I saw my super excited friend Namitha’s new adventure – A Walking Club. First I laughed in my heart thinking how can so many girls coordinate together to actually decide a place and then actually do the walk ?? It felt funny !!

I waited for 2-3 weeks and saw non-stop additions to the group. Daily collages actually made me realize that I was missing something.
The good part was the time and place is already decided by the admin for the Saturday walks so no time wastage in agreeing to 1 place by so many women (which is next to impossible).

Daily walk invitations by your neighborhood friends inspires you to walk with them or alone.
Having that extra social element with a personal benefit without spending a penny is not at all a bad deal.

And as per the human nature nothing worse is seeing other ladies get in shape and loose those extra pounds faster than you :).

See you all on the track !

Namitha's Notions

A Fun and Friendly Way to Stay Active

The women of today are the busiest people that I know. They have a demanding schedule and are always on time crunch. They are always running around catering to the needs of others – be it family, friends, work and/or service.  And most of them do not make time for themselves.

I was one of them – I was always busy with urgent things (everything these days seems to be on our urgent list) and I missed out on important things to take care of. I realized my health and well-being is being neglected. I needed to take time for myself to de-stress, get active and be healthy.

I was looking to get into an activity which lets me have my personal time without compromising the quality time with my family. I wanted someone to hold me accountable on any activity that I start. I was looking out for friends to be my accountability partner here. Taking this further, if I could find an accountability group, it will be even better.  If it is a women’s group, woo-hoo! What more can I ask? In short, I was looking for a group of like-minded people to talk to, associate with, learn from and grow together. This will be relaxing for me and together we can all stay active, have fun and be fit. And in the process, I discovered Happy Feet Walking Club !!!

Happy Feet Walking Club is a group of women walking together who focus on personal health and encourage fitness in a fun way. We meet together every Saturday morning and walk together. We also encourage our family and friends to stay active by incorporating walking into our everyday lives.

Happy FeeT Walkers Club

If you would like to read more about the benefits of walking, click here.

I have met such amazing women from all walks of life here and we walk together. We each have unique strengths and together we complement one another. We learn from each other, we support, we inspire and we motivate one other to stay active and be healthy. I have found great set of minds to associate with and am very glad to be part of this awesome group.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friend, Rekha Narayan, who has introduced me to this group.

A recent study at Stanford found that walking, both indoors and outdoors, boosts creativity. Well known people like Steve Jobs and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg are known to incorporate walking meetings. You can read more about the Stanford study here. Be active, get creative.!

Now, its your turn. Come join us at Happy Feet – a walking club for women by women – stay active in a fun and friendly way.

 

Sree Lakshmi's Sentiments

Happy Feet even brings families together

It’s not about “HAVING” time.
It’s about ” MAKING” time.

Happy Feet Walkers Club started the momentum for a lot of people like me.

With this club one gains a lot. Friendship and family time for one.

Many walkers started with a common goal of atleast 10K steps per day. Certain days are harder or more hectic than others and potentially we would have missed the goal on such a day in the past with no guilt or compulsion to make the extra effort. Not anymore, all the Happy Feet Whatsapp messages that trickle in throughout the day urges us to move and meet the goal. Each and every day!!

The messages from other walkers keeps us motivated. Posts about walks completed , kudos from others, beautiful pictures, funny incidents, each little nudge to make our own memories. The club is always reminding you to make the right choices.

In the evening , all my family members walk together and we talk. When you are outside talking you don’t have interpretations. No longer the Television or phone call to distract us from our time together. Eating dinner together as a family is recommended by a lot of experts. In my opinion, walking together is just as great for the family if not more.

Happy Feet even brings families together.

Sree Lakshmi's Sentiments

Happy Feet Happy Mind and Energetic Body

Once up on a time I used to walk a lot and then stopped as I was not motivated to do so. Last year couple of us started to walk but it was missing something…
When Happy Feet Walkers Club was started by two lovely ladies I got very excited. It is the best club in many ways.
 
Every week we pick different location. Can you guys guess why?
 
Were you able to guess….
Every time one visits a new location the brain is excited to see new things. In no time you are done walking 3 milesn and  you are left with the urge to walk some more. That makes you want to keep on going. It is a primer for all the daily walks you can do on your own or with friends and family in the vicinity.
 

On the  weekend walks we make new friends and reconnect with existing ones and it makes your heart happy.

Now your mind and heart are happy and you are ready, full of energy and enthusiam to start your weekend. This is the  change from lazy to active.  One would think all the walking would make you tired. Surprisingly it makes you all the more energetic.

“Happy Feet Happy Mind and Energetic Body”

 

Namitha's Notions

Lakshmy’s thoughts

Wife, Mother, Professional, Happy Feeter!
I am a professional in the field of science. I was not particularly fond of walking and had never been a big fitness freak. However, I have realized that motivation to work out firstly comes from within. And working and walking with friends adds to the fun. Can we encourage and motivate each other to spend a little time taking care of ourselves and thereby those around us? Can we spend a little time together to kick start a week of walking and good health? Can we post our goals and milestones so that others may be encouraged, even pushed to do so themselves? Hence the concept of Happy feet for fun, friendship and fitness. In any order, they are crucial to a happy and healthy life!
Happy feeting and thanks for your time and encouragement.

Namitha's Notions

How it all started

What is new about walking?

People have been doing it for centuries if not more.

Why is it exciting all of a sudden?

No one cared when I walked before. I need to probably join a fitness club or something jazzy.

Why should I keep doing it everyday?

I have so many things to do. I don’t have time for this.

Is it really a new idea?

All these and other similar questions came to mind when we first discussed the idea of walking together each week. But the “always eager for new ideas” part of me wanted to give it a try. Friends are not just a shoulder to cry on but also someone to support when an idea is germinating. Especially if it is one that benefits self and others.

Happy Feet was the brainchild of two friends wanting to walk and talk together. More friends helped in picking a name, interesting routes and much much more.
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