What's your (health) number?

"One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do..." Remember that line from the Three Dog Night song back in 1969.. Did you know that Harry Nilsson wrote the song? 

And then there's the TV ad that annoyingly asks "What's your number?" meaning how much money will you need for retirement.

I'm on a quest to find a number that leads to good health-- I think I've done it. 

My number is 5.

Today, Wednesday, July 15, 2015, I drove over to my favorite walking spot. I parked my car in a hilly, residential area located on the west side of Austin, Texas. That's when the numbers kicked in. The clock said 8:00 am. The temperature reading on my dashboard said 76 degrees. Remember-- middle of July, deep in the heart of Texas.

I got back to my starting place at 9:20 am and the temperature read 85 degrees. More numbers. I figured I did close to 4 miles,  a 20 minute mile pace, going up and down in the heat . I misplaced the charger on my Fitbit last week so these numbers were approximate.

For me the key walking number is now 5! I've been doing 5 mile walks almost every morning, a kind of health ritual. My wristwatch served as my monitoring device--a traditional method, but it works.

My Fitbit would vibrate at 10,000 steps-- the 5 mile mark. With the friendly little vibration, and without even looking, I knew I had reached my goal for the entire day. I smiled to myself. I have ordered a replacement charger for my Fitbit.

They say it takes 30 days to create a habit. Sounds reasonable. I've got a new habit, early morning walks-- and 5 is my number!