I was watching the news last night and there was a story about Canada Post stopping door to door mail delivery. Instead of door to door delivery of the mail will now be placed in community mail boxes. If you are supper keen you can read the 26 page report here https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/aboutus/5_en.pdf
This is in an effort to save Canada Post some money. Apparently they lose quite a bit of money every year. And why wouldn’t they be. Mail is starting to become obsolete. The majority of the mail I get is junk mail and the occasional cards form my mom. Most of my bills and other important correspondents happen on line.
I’m not here to discuss the political ramifications or economic impacts of this new project by Canada Post. I would like to talk about the people on the news that was quite upset about having to walk to the mailbox.
First before I get a lot of hate mail, I do acknowledge that there are people out there that are genuinely disabled, injured or sick and are physically unable to walk down the street to get the mail. However the people they had on the news were quite physically able, they just seemed lazy.
I have a community mail box where I live. I need to walk to the end o the street every day to see what 2 for 1 pizza deals are in the mail and if I am already a winner in Publishers Clearing house. Some days I don’t go down and wait for those coupons to accumulate for a day or so.
Actually I drive past the mailboxes on my way to work and my way home from work. I could stop and pick up the mail then, but I choose to walk down once I get home. I live in the middle of my street so the walk is at most 150 meters.
The people at the end of the street would have to walk a little longer up to a staggering 300 meters every day, in each direction. The Horror!
What really got me were the people on the news saying that they are going to have to change their daily routine because of this. At most it takes 10 minutes if you live at the end of your block and you choose to walk. If you were really lazy you could stop on your way out of the house when you are driving somewhere. One person mentioned that she was not going to go get the mail in her night ground. Really? Is this a thing? Does it take that much more time or effort in the morning or at night to stay dressed for 5 minutes to walk to the end of the block and get the mail? Does this interrupt your routine that much?
Another gentleman said it was Ok now but things will change when it is 20 below out there. Again, really? We live in Canada. Do you not go out at all when it is cold outside? I still need to go to work, take out the garbage and shovel the walk, step and driveway. The few minute walk may actually warm you up a bit.
I was inspired by one man that seemed to be overweight and said that the little extra exercise would be a good thing and couldn’t hurt. Yes! That is correct the little extra exercise can’t hurt. Get it in while you can.
This is a classic example of people not wanting it change and trying to avoid physical activity. Will Canada Post making changes and slowly stop delivering to houses eradicate obesity? No! People that are opposed to this will spend more time and energy coming up with ways to avoid getting the mail than it is worth.
Will it help millions of overweight Canadian’s lose weight? Probably not.
Is it a start? Yes! If I had a client in one of these neighborhoods and was brand new to exercise I would start slowly. Walking down to get the mail 2 or 3 times a week is a good start. That is better than nothing. Once that habit is established I would build on it. Adding in more and more making it longer over weeks and months, helping build and establish the habit of exercise.
Rob
