As a seemingly endless, dreary and drizzly season offers hints of sunnier days to come, two inalienable rites of spring will soon cause consternation in households everywhere.

First, husbands and wives will undertake a tradition known as spring cleaning, a marathon session that typically involves complaining about “too much stuff.” After every nook and cranny is jam-packed with belongings just too dear to toss, it’s time for washing windows, cleaning gutters, whacking weeds and tackling all those mundane chores that come with modern life.

As if all that bending, lifting, tugging and climbing isn’t enough, it’s also the time many complain that six months of daily rain has caused a few extra pounds to settle around the middle of their portly bodies.

Spring’s T-shirts and shorts cannot mask what was tucked neatly away under winter’s sweatshirts and rain slickers.

Fortunately, we live in a region wonderfully suited for one of the best exercises known to man and woman – just going for a walk. Health experts cheer the benefits of simply putting one foot in front of the other and remaining upright. We’re a nation sorely in need of some cardiovascular improvement, and – whether taking a leisurely evening stroll or settling into a pace almost resembling a jog – walking is just what the doctor ordered.

Our region offers something for everyone, just moments from our front doors. From Sumner’s flat downtown streets to the paved portions of the Foothills Trail that cut through Buckley and Enumclaw, opportunities abound. We won’t even talk about Enumclaw’s Mount Peak and the fitness options available on its near-vertical incline. Bonney Lake provides the big-box stores that provide a safe environment for seniors and those with mobility issues; they’re climate controlled with wide aisles.

We just need to get out and walk for the physical, mental and spiritual benefits to be found. The only hurdle between a serious walking regime that brings toned muscles, increased stamina and better overall health is general laziness and a serious lack of time.

The culprit is all that needless spring cleaning…