Shopping Is My Cardio — The Fun Side of Health

This post is a bit different from my usual ones because I realized that daily life can’t always be so rigid and information-based. I love to venture out of my niche once in a while and provide you guys with something a bit different and more relatable.

Confidence! If you have it, you can make anything look good.

Don’t forget I’m a person too, and so I often do a lot of fun activities, sometimes boring ones; sometimes I see friends all the time, and sometimes I don’t see friends at all. Life has always had a way to pull you away from being social because, let’s face it, working hard on a weekly basis for your career, your blog, your channels, and your life can be pretty exhausting.

Some days you just want to do nothing, see no one, Netflix, and chill! And that’s okay! BUT on the days that I want to do a fun activity that I enjoy and that will help me get my body moving and keep me active, shopping is the way to go! I recently posted a picture on my Instagram, and part of the caption was “shopping is my cardio.” Believe it or not, it is!

With Friends All The time.

It’s not just about shopping! Many people think that because I go to the mall often, it means I’m a shopaholic. I’m not, lol. Okay! I only do this occasionally, especially during the Christmas season!

Anyway! I love the mall! It’s a wonderful way to get out of the house, dress up, and be active. I obviously need to wear comfy shoes; otherwise, I wouldn’t want to walk for hours, but I also ensure that they match my outfit and are stylish. For some reason, I’ve always enjoyed dressing up in different kinds of styles, and when I go to the mall, I love looking fashionable.

I usually don’t even buy anything! It’s just window shopping and trying on stuff for fun…sounds terrible, I know, but it’s so true! Usually, I’ll go with friends and family.

The mall has never been a place I’ve enjoyed going alone, unless I actually have an errand to run, like returning or exchanging something, or if it’s someone’s birthday and I HAVE TO GO ASAP. When I go with friends, it’s wonderful, and I love it! We not only get to catch up on our daily drama, boy stories, family feuds, and obviously careers, but we also get a chance to “work out” together. I don’t typically engage in this activity with friends, as I plug in my headphones at the gym, creating a space where no one else is present. oops

I realize that I may seem a bit anti-social, but I go to the gym for serious workouts, not just to socialize! The mall lets me have my 45 minutes or more of daily exercise. Typically, my exercise is mild to moderate intensity, allowing me to chat with friends and satisfy the social aspect of my life; however, it isn’t always at that level, as sometimes I engage in small high-intensity interval training sessions. Sometimes it’s like doing small high-intensity interval training sessions! How is shopping HIIT? Well! CHANGING ROOMS!

How many of you have gone to the mall to find something specific or try on new seasonal clothes?

Yea, changing rooms for me is no joke. I literally take almost the entire store with me, a huge mistake, but I do it all the time. Then, I have to quickly change, walk around, and “model” the outfit for friends and family to get their opinion. Then, I return to the sauna-like room under the hot lights, an experience that almost always causes me to perspire.

But it’s not over! You are doing all these crazy movements as you put on and take off clothes, and then when you’re done, you shuffle over to the next store and do it all over again. Mind you, if this were something you did maybe in one store, it wouldn’t be an issue, but sometimes I go on a small changing room hopping spree, and it’s exhausting! My heart is racing, I’m hot, my arms start to feel it, and then I just want to sit and take a breather! Lol

For me, both shopping and window-shopping serve as my form of cardio! It’s where I can get a fun workout without actually intending to! And I can do it for hours! Recently, a new trend has emerged, particularly at the malls in Broward County! At Sawgrass Mills Mall, early risers are getting together before it opens to the public to WALK! The distance around the mall is 1.5 miles. The mall now has a formal Mall Walking Club. Membership is free at Sawgrass Mills. The mall even gives them breakfast in the food court, free! Other malls also have these walking clubs. Some have membership fees; others do not.

Suppose you’re interested in joining some of these wonderful fitness clubs located at malls! I’ve found a list on the Sun-Sentinel and will be pasting it below! Regardless of what you think of malls and shopping, I’m glad people are going out there and staying active! Therefore, I encourage you to gather your friends and family and enjoy your time at the malls!

WALKING CLUBS:

• Broward Mall in Plantation: No membership fee and includes weekly blood pressure checks!
• Coral Square in Coral Springs: Members pay a 1-time fee of $5, and it includes monthly health lectures at the Coral Springs Medical Center, incentive awards, a T-shirt, and a newsletter.
• The Fashion Mall in Plantation is free and also has blood pressure checks two times a week.
• The Galleria in Ft. Lauderdale: Free!
• Hollywood Fashion Center in Hollywood was in the process of starting its own club! To find out if they did.
• Pompano Square in Pompano Beach charges a one-time fee of $7.50, which includes monthly meetings at the mall food court featuring guest speakers, incentive awards, and raffles. Members also get discount cards, T-shirts, a logbook, and a newsletter.
• Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise: free! You also get a logbook, weekly blood pressure checks, and incentive awards.

OBVIOUSLY AND AS ALWAYS: Always always always check with your doctors first! Know your limits; learn to listen to your body so that you push yourself healthily and safely. Never continue if you feel chest pain, if you get nauseous, or if you cannot stop breathing fast. If you get lightheaded, take a break, sit down, don’t be stubborn, and take care of your health before you go nuts on the mall walks! How should you walk? If you can’t talk while you walk, chances are you may be overdoing it. Walk briskly, but not to the point that you feel like you’re going to pass out. Learn about the matching process for residency and medical careers.

There you have it! Shopping can be both fun and good for your body. Who’s ready to go to the mall??

Let me know what you thought of this post! Shopping