Fitness walking with friends, or the negative calorie get-together

Traditionally, good friends get together over a cup of coffee and some pastries, or a pot of tea and some biscuits or a meal including... well, including calories.

My favorite is the negative calorie walk. Some of my friends and I get together to walk, and we talk, too. It's a very pleasant way of socializing. No fuss and no calories, and the conversations are just as good.

I'm now part of a few walking groups. My Sunday group is speedy. The two who set the pace have less spare fat in total than my pinky--no exaggeration, and keeping up with them is a real challenge and a great calorie burner. Monday's group is a different pace, very relaxed. Thursday is in between.

Sometimes there are so many of us that a few conversations are going on simultaneously. Another advantage is that nobody has the burden of hosting, fixing up the house, baking, shopping etc. And there's no clean-up. It's a major part of my local social life.

Another regular negative calorie meeting is when I exercise in the pool on Wednesdays. Yes, exercise, not swim.

Oh, and in case you're curious, I'm not thin at all, but think of how much fatter I'd be without all this physical activity.