I bought an iPod a month ago. I'm writing to report that it's been a wonderful help to me to get me out there walking more regularly. It's the second generation iPod, much tinier and more powerful than the first ones that came out a few years ago. It costs $79. (The photo here shows that it's not much bigger than the size of a quarter.)Before I got the iPod, I was walking an average of about 7 miles a week. I've been using it for three weeks now and I'm up to about 14 miles a week now. The goal is still to get up to over 20 miles per week and maintain that for a while.
I spend way too much time slouched over my computer. In the last few months I've really begun to feel the muscle and joint strain from this all over the right side of my body. (Especially around my right hip and right arm.) So it's really crucial I get out there and move, not just for fitness and weight loss and all the benefits associated with that, but to make sure I don't develop some long term nerve damage due to my bad computer habits.
I'm not so much into listening to music on my walks as when I was younger and jogging around with my heavy walkman. Now I prefer the fascinating podcasts that are available out there for free. There are tons of really high quality free lectures and talks on any topic you might possibly be interested in.
In summary, the iPod has been a great investment for my fitness motivation so far. Will let you know if it's still motivating me a few weeks from now.
