MoneyWalker

January 5, 2009
The goal of MoneyWalker is to provide assistance to individuals who want to improve their physical fitness using the unique technique of Money Walking. Walking is a recognized method of developing and maintaing cardiovascular fitness and for losing weight. Walking is not as efficient as jogging, but it is less harmful to the ankle, knee, and hip joints of the body. Walking for fitness is a good daily habit that can be pursued by most individuals regardless of age and weather conditions. Positive habits are difficult to establish and easy to break. Boredom is one of the main reasons people site for breaking the habit of fitness walking. At first, the novelty of walking is sufficient. But after awhile, for many, the sameness of the track or neighborhood scenery results in low stimulation and low motivation. Many walkers just quit and lose the promised benefits of the daily walk. Thus, this blog will share my secrets of Money Walking as a means of preventing boredom and the loss of mental stimulation. The secret is simple. Money Walking substitutes an external reward as the primary reinforcement mechanism. Intrinsic rewards are noble; who shouldn't be motivated by the rewards of better health, weight loss, and psychological well-being. But for many of us, we need more tangible rewards. Therefore, this blog will coach you to use money as a more permanent and lasting motivation to persevere in the healthy habit of walking. Not elegant, not mature, not academically acceptable; Money Walking is simply addicting. The rules of Money Walking are very simple. Walk a minimum of one hour five days a week. The initial pace is self-regulating--walk as fast or as slow as your comfort level allows. Some may want to obtain a physician's opinion before embarking on a walking regiment. Clothing should be easy fitting and layered for cold climates. The outside garment should be a reflection vest. Yellow and orange colors provide maximum attention. Training shoes with a good platform and arch support is highly recommended (about $100 dollars for a decent pair of walking shoes). And finally, as you walk, learn to scan and focus on the pathway just in front of your steps. Remember safety is the first rule. Remain vigilant for cars, bikes, and other pedestrians. You are scanning and searching for dropped coins and currency. You will be amazed by the amount of money people drop and leave on the ground. (Note: The above writing is in third person, but sometimes I will use first person to provide personal comments.) I average seventy-three cents a day for a one hour walk. My largest find was $25.00, a wad of two tens and a five. (More about ethics later.) My strategy is to walk street curbs and parking lots. My goal is to briskly walk three or more miles in the one hour period. Strategies include finding coins dropped in the curbs; coins left in coin return slots from telephone stations and newspaper dispensers; coins dropped in drive throughs at fast-food chains, banks, and drug stores; and money left at car-wash cubicles and vacuum stations. Because I live in an open neighborhood with a mixture of businesses and residentials, the above sources of monetary locations are plentiful. I sometimes drive a short distance to "virgin" territories to improve my chances of money finds. The "addiction" comes from the finds, not the monetary value. In future posts, I will include entries from my journal about the monetary and other material things that have been found on my walks. Also, because I have extensive background in matters relating to physical fitness and wellness, I will provide helpful tips related to health and physical fitness. For now, the time is to get started and establish your own MoneyWalker habit.

Bleason