One foot in front of the other

I got a little note in the mail from my doctor the other day, with the results of my bloodwork. She had ordered all these various tests because I have been gifted with a family history of such things as high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Happily, I am still just fine. In fact, I am a little embarrassed to report that I am so fine as to be, well, pretty much off the charts, in the good direction.

Well, except for HDL cholesterol, a.k.a. "the good cholesterol." That was a little low, but not so low as to be dangerous, nor as to make the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL fall anywhere near the charts.

My doctor's advice was to increase my exercise.

Now, I'm pretty sure she was not looking at my chart when she wrote this. I haven't been to her all that often--after all, we haven't even lived here a year!--but I have seen her enough that I know she knows kind of what I look like, or at least how I am built. By which I mean her first thought was most likely not that I need to lose weight.

The reason I doubt she was looking at my chart was that it has a little survey in there about my health habits. And on this survey I indicated that my primary form of exercise is walking several miles per week.

I indeed walk several miles per week. I walk 5 or 6 miles a day, three days per week; and up to 3 miles on any of the other days. That is a lot of exercise, right there. But also I walk fast. And I'm usually carrying a lot more than I really should.

Increase my exercise? Honestly, Doctor, I don't think I have room in my schedule.