Staff photo by Kevin Jacobus^^Mike Morin, 7/19/2005.

Spring in New Hampshire is a month away and I will be a fully-COVID vaccinated man by then. I am over 65 and will admit to having a couple qualifying NO-morbidities. I do have a clinical dependence on New Hampshire made Lindt chocolates and an increasing emotional relationship with my Fitbit Charge 4.

A seemingly harmless love of chocolate is understandable but an emotional connection to a device that counts steps, heartbeats and sleep minutes…now, that’s just weird.

After a long winter of treadmill duty at my Nashua location of Bubble Fitness, I am ready to start counting my steps outdoors through the rest of New Hampshire, away from my family room. I’m also tired of stealing my daily steps by raking snow from my roof. Since 10,000 daily steps is an attainable daily goal, I decided to calculate how I could amass that daily number at a variety of granite state venues.

Before accusing me of being a member of The OCD Fitness Club, you should know my treadmill devotion has helped me burn my coat of winter fat, brought on by pizza, popovers and yes, Lindor Truffles by Lindt. And now I also have a resting heart rate of 58 beats per minute. Full transparency: 114 BPM when faced with Lindt chocolates.

For those so engaged, here is New Hampshire by the Numbers for step counters. In my case, the math is easy, as 10,000 steps works out to about five miles. (From my book, Fifty Shades of 10,000 Steps):

FLUME GORGE TRAIL HIKE: Distance is about two miles (not including your walk from the parking lot). 4,000 steps. 6,000 to go.

DOG SLEDDING: This one is a grey area. You get no steps for this as the dogs do most of the work. However, for those desperately competitive on a quest for 10,000 steps, you could attach your Fitbit to the leg of one of the dogs. You didn’t get that from me.

MAPLE MADNESS: Spring is when the sap runs and so should you. Visit a couple sugar houses, sample fresh maple syrup drizzled over snow, then walk it off: Credit: 3,500 steps. You’re at 7,500 for the day. Great job. You are almost to 10,000.

SHOPPING MAIN STREET, NASHUA: Admit it, buying on Amazon does not increase steps. Spend an hour and a few bucks in local brick and mortar spots. I’ll give you 2,000 steps as you are rounding toward home at 9,500.

CANDLEPIN BOWLING, LEDA LANES, NASHUA: At about 100 steps per string, play three games for 300 steps. Total 9,800 for the day. Add 50 if you drop a few tokens in the arcade while having a pizza. That leaves you with lots of memories and 9,850 steps. You need 150 steps to get those Fitbit fireworks going. I got you covered.

In your last shameless effort to get those remaining steps, hit the Merrimack Premium Outlets for the LINDT CHOCOLATE SHOP. 150 steps to 10,000. Time to convert my treadmill to a coat rack.

Contact Mike Morin at mike morinmedia@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @MikeMorinMedia. His column runs the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month.

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