Becky Striepe
by Noella Schink
I love to read. I especially delight in cumbersome, 1500 page, historical fiction, fantasy or Harry Potter- type stories, which leave my purse straps strained and my wrists fatigued. The kind of book I like is as heavy as an encyclopedia and therefore only slightly more convenient. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I finally able to get a Kindle. Oh, the portability, the ease of use, the saver of space!
I was quite pleased with myself, hanging out on the couch with the Kindle, reading during my breaks at work, and slipping it into my carry-on while traveling for the holidays, until it dawned on me that perhaps Kindle could finally be the catalyst that gets me off my butt and active!
Get a Kindle for Fitness
I know what you are thinking: How can reading help me get healthy and feel great?
When winter hits in Maine and the gym is the only option for staying active (unless you are one of those thick-blooded folks who can be lured into the snowy cold for “fun” activities like snow-shoeing, skiing and snowball fights), it can be pretty tough to get motivated to stay active.
I know I’m probably not alone when I say that the gym can be a loud, sweat flinging, miserable hour. Running outside in the sunshine is something I actually enjoy, but at the gym the squeaky treadmill drives me nuts, the person behind me keeps accidentally changing the channel on my TV and I have the attention span of a kitten, which means I stay glued to the clock, just willing my time to be up.
Until now. With my Kindle in tow, I head to the gym with enthusiasm, nay, gusto! I know that the hour will fly by because I’ll be fully engrossed in my novel of choice. Regular books can’t hack it at the gym. They won’t stay open on the little ledge below the treadmill screen, and the type is way too small. I used to try magazines, but the ceiling fan would flutter the pages and the searing fluorescent lighting would glare off the glossy photos. This is where the Kindle really shines.
It’s effortless to up the font size so, even whilst bouncing around on an elliptical, the text is easily readable. The one touch page turn is also foolproof, even for a clumsy lefty like myself. I can seriously run/pedal/stair climb forever, as long as the book is engaging. In a lifestyle that is otherwise hectic, I look forward to my hour of reading. This means I look forward to my hour at the gym. Where else can I find an uninterrupted slice of day to dedicate to my mind, my entertainment, my body, all in one go?
Just when I thought all motivation was lost and I’d forever dread the gym, lie and say I went, only do 15 minutes and quit, my e-reader has kindled a growing tolerance for a place I once loathed. It reminds me of when I swore I’d never switch to an e-reader – look at me now! The Kindle is an all around winner, saving me cash on bulky books that would otherwise cost a fortune, saving my weak wrists and even saving a few trees and helping me shrink my carbon footprint at the same time!
Noella Schink is a travel writer from Portland, Maine. She encourages you to try an e-reader for fitness and health, and of course travel! When you are off jet-setting with your new Kindle, Nook or iPad, take a quick break and check out Excellent Hotels, where you’ll find the best hotels in New York, Paris, the UK and beyond.
Image Credit: Get a Kindle for Fitness photo via Shutterstock
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