| In Monday's newsletter, we asked you to tell us about your fitness routines and how you connect fitness and sociability. You are plenty busy keeping active, that's for sure, and in so many different ways. Bob linked surviving major surgery to his habit of workplace walking. Russell has not let a mild disability get in the way of exercising and socializing. And Nilmini is recovering from health problems by moving, nudged along by a bit of technology. Charles keeps "search and rescue" fit by hiking and skiing, Janette joined a rowing team, and Sherrod finds inspiration in the scenery and the familiar strangers of his morning routine. Jackie told us about how she is tackling the Appalachian Trail by breaking it up into manageable pieces. That reminded me of this story about a mother's fantastic trip to Yosemite with her grown son. And if those ideas inspire you, most of our state and national parks have spectacular hikes with a wide range of lengths and difficulty levels. Find one and get moving! (Have more tips to share? It's not too late! Tell us how you've shaken up your fitness routines here. We may feature it.) You also wanted to talk about the benefits of living with a pet: on top of daily exercise, these include calmness, companionship, purpose, security and staying social. Allergic to dogs? Take a note from Liz and reap the benefits of a virtual pet, a la Pokémon Go. And no matter how you're keeping active, Art reminds us that you can never be too cautious when it comes to avoiding a fall. Below you'll find a few of our favorite submissions, edited for length and clarity. Find your motivator "There are usually two or three of us that will walk a two-mile circuit around the office towers after lunch. This has been a time for each of us to reflect on many topics: family, politics, career paths. I had cardiac quadruple by-pass a year ago, and the doctors said that I probably survived it because I had been walking. And the post-op instructions were: walk at least 30 minutes every day. Most days I also take the stairs to my office on the seventh floor at least once. I now have a few younger friends that will take the six flights with me." — Bob, 64 "I will either walk with my wife or alone. My main motivation is that I am on the local mountain rescue team and if I don't keep walking, I can't keep up with the young people on our team. Often, I will put on my 30-pound rescue pack and hike or walk with that. I am fortunate that I have fantastic hiking trails right out my door. I either hike or walk four to seven miles, either two or three days a week. And in winter, I ski." — Charles, 71 "I started rowing with a club. I took a class all summer and then joined a novice masters team. I also do group training in Pilates three times a week." — Janette, 66 Stop and say "hello""I moved to a new town 20 years ago and didn't know many people. Especially people that liked to get up at the crack of dawn, like I do. I loved walking downtown in our historic section, even though I had to drive to get there. Every day, I would pass a woman walking in the opposite direction. We would smile at each other but kept going our separate ways. Then one day we stopped and started up a conversation and decided from then on to walk in the same direction. This friendship has continued to this day!" — Sheila, 56 "Linda and I started meeting in the mornings, walking while the kids were still asleep. Then we would go home and put them on the bus. Eventually we decided to try a weekend walk with the kids. Since we live right off the Appalachian Trail, we decided to start there and take the kids on an overnight backpacking trip. The next year we went alone. And that was the beginning of 20 years of walking and friendship. We've covered about 900 miles of the Trail and every subject under the sun. Our friendship has seen us through raising children, losing husbands and welcoming grandchildren. There were no problems we couldn't solve by walking and talking it out. We may have even lost a little weight along the way, or not". — Jackie, 67 "My husband had always wanted to walk in the morning, but when I had to leave the house for work at 7:30, I wasn't willing to give up my coffee and paper. When I retired, I had no excuse. We are up and out of the house by 6:15 every morning and take a beautiful walk along the Chesapeake Bay. We've watched breathtaking sunrises spreading across the sky, experienced perfect still mornings, and battled strong winds and white caps. One of the best parts for me is getting to know the community of walkers that we encounter. We "see" each other in defiance of the way older people frequently become invisible to others." — Sherrod, 68 Get going with gadgets"Through Pokémon Go and Wizards Unite, I have met many nice people, with whom I meet up regularly for in-game events. There are many players who are 50-plus in my area. The more you walk, the more rewards you can earn. My group has an annual potluck and holiday food drive. You can find groups on Facebook or on the Discord gaming app." — Liz, 55 "A health matter kept me bedridden for four years. My FitBit reminded me of how little I was moving, which encouraged me to make at least one step, and that has grown to 2,000 steps a day. Now it has made me strong enough to add lunch with a friend to my schedule. Tiny steps, gentle motivators." — Nilmini, 54 "My daughter and I 'take a walk' together many days a week, even though we are miles apart. We talk on the telephone while I walk my 30 minutes or more every morning, and she takes care of five dogs at her home. When I am in Florida for the winter, it is especially nice as I walk on the beach with the birds." — Betty, 85 Get fit with Fido"A dog is really a man's best friend when it comes to exercise. Who can say no to a dog with begging eyes that barks and turns circles when you put on your walking shoes?" — Tim, 67 "Being in the woods with my dogs is just about the most healing, freeing thing I do. Sitting on a mossy log and watching the change of light through the trees. The quiet. The peace that abides in the forest whether or not I'm there to revel in it. So grateful to God for every blessed thing. My spirit really does soar, and sometimes I feel as though gold light is shooting from my fingers. Joy. I do walk in the woods with others, but I'm very picky." — Michele, 64 Personalize your plan"I have mild cerebral palsy, so exercise is a challenge for me. 'Walking' for me involves using a wheelchair. I've started going to a chair yoga class to improve and maintain balance and mobility. Not a cardio workout certainly, but it does provide opportunity for socialization and meeting up with people." — Russell, 68 "I walk a great deal, even though I must use two canes (the second cane is primarily for balance), including walking to and from work and many of my appointments. I am extraordinarily careful, particularly on stairs and slippery surfaces. If you realize your quality of life will be destroyed from a fall, you'll adopt a different mind set when you walk." — Art, 84 See you Monday, when I'll be back to tackle the unfortunate reality of online scamming and the intrusive world of robocalls. In the meantime, be sure to forward Bold School to a friend (or three?) and invite them to join us. They can sign up at anytime and start with Lesson 1 the following Monday. | 
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