Forgive me.
I'm one of those jerks who had long considered mall walking synonymous with, say, wearing sweatpants in public, or driving a car so dirty that its "Wash Me" finger graffiti was covered by another layer of grime.
In other words, mall walking was the equivalent of giving up.
I was wrong. Mall walking — no gym membership required! — is an excellent aerobic pursuit. Especially in winter, when the prospect of freezing your face off while power-walking Lake of the Isles becomes the exercise deterrent du jour.
There are plenty of options in the Twin Cities. Proximity is a key factor in the where-to-go decision — why travel for a half-hour to a mall when the closest one is five minutes away? — but there are other considerations.
For starters, there's visual stimulation. Let's face it: Some malls are uglier than others. (We're focusing on suburban malls, leaving the downtown skyway labyrinths to another time.)
A half-vacant mall is no fun, although in this era of social distancing, low-traffic indoor spaces have their attributes. Conversely, a route that's lined with compelling retailers transforms low-impact exercise into window shopping. Multitasking, right?
For some a.m. mall walkers, access to caffeinated beverages is a must. Delicious snacks never hurt. Natural light always wins over artificial illumination.
