Reading While Walking......or

or should that be "Walking While Reading"?

(photo credit: http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzsponksku1qzp6u3o1_500.jpg)

One of my mottos is "So many books; so little time". 

 (image credit: http://news-libraries.mit.edu/blog/wp-images/so_many_2.jpg)

I also have the tendency to want to multitask or else I fear I might not be making the best use of my time.  

One of my traits is that I have a hard time motivating myself to exercise....and for the longest time I tried to figure out how I could safely do one of my favourite pasttimes while walking.  That pastime is reading.  If only I could figure out how to combine the two, it would not only allow me some precious reading time, I'd be burning a decent amount of calories, too.  The two birds with one stone analogy really works for the multitasker in me.

Reading while walking is possible but not nearly as enjoyable as you'd think because unless you're more coordinated than me, you really can only half pay attention to the book while half paying attention to the path in front of you.  Either that, or risk tripping on obstructions or stepping in a pothole.  ugh.

I have tried reading books on the treadmill but I must be a bouncy walker because I kept losing my line of sight on the page.  I've tried walking more smoothly but then I'd catch my shoes on the treadmill belt.  (read: she's a bit of a klutz)

This could be why they invented iPods....and podcasts.  yaaaay.  You can now listen to the spoken word while safely walking on your merry way.  I have listened to books on tape in the past but I do have the tendency to let my mind wander while listening to a monotone voice reading words from a book.  It must be my multitasking brain that forks off into one or many other thoughts while "listening" to a book.  I find podcasts (depending on the content, of course) to be a little more lively and engaging than books so find its easier to stay focussed.  There's always the option of a quick 30 second rewind if you missed too much for your brain to fill in the missing piece on its own.  

Thankfully, gone are the days I had to pop the cassette tape out of my walkman so that I could rewind a minute or two so that I could re-listen to the passage I apparently tuned out ..... very annoying to miss bits when one of my favourite genres is spy novels.

This girl sure doesn't miss those "good ol' days" and is pretty thankful for her little "books" on digital chip.