2026 Blog Posts

In 2025, I wrote a blog about 5 styles of walking, this past summer a new trend of walking emerged known as Japanese Walking. According to functional fitness expert (who knew?), Trond Nyland, “The beauty of Japanese Walking is how effortlessly it fits into everyday life, It’s simple, low-impact and easy to maintain, making it an ideal starting point for anyone new to fitness. It removes the usual barriers, making consistent movement that is accessible and achievable for almost anyone.”

So, what is Japanese Walking? We’ve all heard about how you need to walk 10,000 steps a day. Or is it 20,000 or only 5,000?! Japanese Walking takes the guess work and step counting out of the equation – thank you! The basic premise is to do three minutes of fast walking (defined as 70% of peak aerobic activity) and then switch to three minutes of slow walking (40% of peak aerobic activity) for a total of 30 minutes. As stated in Forbes ,“This simple fast-slow walking method boosts VO2 Max–the optimum rate at which your heart, lungs and muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise–without logging thousands of steps.”

Doing this type of walking a few times a week can help improve cardiovascular health and muscle strength, lower blood pressure, increase energy levels and stamina. No step counting required, count me in!

As the agency’s “resident plant lady” I feel it is my duty to share that January 10th is known as Houseplant Appreciation Day! No, really? The day was established in 2012 by The Gardener’s Network, where home gardening is their main focus. It is to remind people of the benefits of houseplants. I truly believe that anyone can grow and maintain houseplants; I have several co-workers who’ve “taken the plunge”. Need some more inspiration? Below is a list of some of the benefits of houseplants courtesy of Swansons Nursery.

· Plants like the Peace Lily and Spider plant can remove toxins from the air

· They can increase humidity and even reduce dust up to 20% by releasing water vapor

· Proximity to plants helps to improve concentration and elevate your mood

· Studies have found that when people were exposed to indoor plants in their office space, their work performance improved

· There is even scientific evidence that being around plants can reduce blood pressure and heart rate as well

So, on this Houseplant Appreciation Day, take a moment to marvel at nature at its finest and that you played a significant part in it. Not a plant person, make this the day you go out and get started. One tip…better to underwater than overwater. Now…get growing!