Thread: One step at a time - the walking thread Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.
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Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Back there on page three there is a ship's walking group thread. I went on one once, and it was embarrassing - pre-hip replacements I was so slow that one kind walker came back to check that I hadn't collapsed getting up a hill.
However, that was more than six years ago; the hips are bionic and I'm getting back into the habit of moving on two legs as opposed to four wheels.
I can walk into the centre of town, round it, and back - about 2.5 miles, the canal walk to the pub and back, 3.5 miles. Today I did the footpath circuit round the outskirts of a very pretty little Cotswold village.Only 2 miles and a bit, but still -
This is a thread about getting back into the swing of activity, having, for whatever reason, not been able to take part for a while.
Your stories, please.
Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on
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After some rather disruptive surgery, the physiotherapist suggested going to the YMCA's wellness program. It turned out to be excellent advice. The trainers at our local Y work with the individual to see what works and what needs work, and they monitor progress. There are all kinds of weights and cardio machines as well as a walking/running track. It has worked very well for me, and I've kept going with a regular membership after the program ended. It's a place where nobody is self conscious about their bodies - a lot of oddly shaped people there, just like me.
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on
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I just got an ash walking stick! This may help on the days when all my joints seem to have reverted to string.
Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on
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After a very long period when I've taken an annual swin, quite literally, I've started investigating getting lessons so that I can swim properly and hopefully ease the creaking in my right leg when the next cricket season comes round. When I say I've started, I sent an email about five minutes ago...
AG
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on
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I'm the world's worst for not walking; in a general sort of way I very rarely walk more than the length of myself, as my friend M. would put it. ![[Hot and Hormonal]](icon_redface.gif)
However, the other evening, D. suggested we take a walk across the old railway bridge over the river (about a third of a mile each way, plus the distance from the car-park), which is now a walking-bridge and part of the city's walking-trails.
It was a glorious evening, with a sunset to die for, and such an enjoyable walk that I think we'll have to do a bit more before the weather starts becoming prohibitive.*
A small start, I know, but it is a start.
* Having not lived here in the winter yet, I'm not sure when that will be ... ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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I did too much last week and ended up having to wear knee support thingies and do stairs one step at a time but I have been kind to myself over the weekend and managed nearly 9,000 steps this morning on a fairly gentle walk round the lanes without any problem. I have been aware for 20+ years that I may need new knees eventually but I really am trying to put it off as long as possible. The thing is that I am fine on the flat or on a moderate slope but steps can be a problem.
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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I think it's the habit of walking we need to regain. The scant half mile to my local Sainsburys was the start for me.
Carrying stuff is a bit of a no-no; one small carrier bag really is the limit, or I'm instantly aware that my new hips didn't contract for additional weight. So, I invested in a trolley shopper. And then a small one.
My hall now houses the stationary bike, a coat rack, two spare dining chairs, shoes, boots, and mother and baby shopping trolleys.
Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on
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I've recently got an app for my phone that shows how many steps I've done. apart from the fact it's only useful when actually carrying the phone which I don't do all the time it has been interesting to see that in a normal day I do tend to walk a reasonable amount. I intend to try and fit more walking into my daily routine, taking my nordic walking poles to my local park for instance.
My local swimming pool has a tag you can wear while swimming which downloads your swim information to your computer. Only used it once so far, but I hope it will encourage me to go swimming more regularly and increase my speed and distance.
Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on
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Pre-brain tumour removal, I could barely walk - dragging my left leg and foot as though I had had a stroke.
Post-op, and after a couple of weeks in a rehabilitation ward, I was able to walk fairly normally, but only for a few yards, and with the aid of a stick (which I still use, mostly for confidence, but also for pointing at things...).
Now, four months further on, I can walk up a steep hill to my local church, shops, GP surgery, pharmacy, and bus stop. It's tiring, and I can't manage anything more than a few hundred yards without slowing down to a crawl, but TBTG anyway!
One small step for man...... ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Ian J.
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on
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![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
When I say I've started, I sent an email about five minutes ago...
Well that went really well. Both pools that I can sensibly get to offer adult classes at 8pm (OK so far) on a night when I am already committed to something else. The same night, in fact.
Grr!
AG
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on
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BF -
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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Parts of Wellington are perpendicular - both my brothers live on these parts. I couldn't even take my Nordic walking poles with me and as a result my left knee is screaming foul .
However back home in Christchurch there is a Walking Festival Monday's walk will be a gentle hour on the flat, whilst Wednesday involves walking on a track through beech trees (NZ beech trees are not related to European one, but were called such by early settlers). I will take my poles on both. The only drawback may be one of NZ's worst imported nasties - wasps. Apparently it has been a good year for them, and I am allergic - not badly but enough to be put out of action for a while.
I am so looking forward to Wednesday.
Huia
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Best of luck with the walks, Huia. And may the wasps stay far from you.
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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Over 9,000 steps on my morning walk today, at over 100 paces per minute! This little step counting app is really inspiring me, though there is the occasional morning when I turn over and go back to sleep.
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on
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9000 steps is impressive, Wodders. I've got a Fitbit and with elder Ferijenet just starting school, and me still on maternity leave, that's about 8000 steps extra a day than I was doing. And I'm pushing a pram but that's leaving me noticeably tireder.
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Pushing a pram probably equates with manually mowing the lawn.
Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on
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I've got an app on my phone that is supposed to count steps. It recognised I'd walked half an hour to my writing class on Friday, but seemed to think I'd caught the bus back, when I'd actually walked back the exact same way I came. I'm believing it when it says I did 10K nordic walking on Saturday though!
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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I now have the meds to deal with a possible wasp sting, but have been advised by several people not to wear my purple coat as wasps are said to be attracted to blue and purple.
Yesterday's Mindful Meander in the Botanic Gardens was wonderful. Spring flowers in profusion and heaps of very noisy bellirds . They are nectar feeders so were enjoying the bounty. One of the staff told me there was a Little Owl nesting in that area, but we didn't see it. One visitor to the Gardens heard it and thought it was a cat stuck up a tree.
I do need to get a step counter because being competitive with myself has helped me increase my walking in the past.
Huia
[ 26. September 2016, 19:04: Message edited by: Huia ]
Posted by Abigail (# 1672) on
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I've been trying to walk more recently. When I was younger I would walk for miles but these days it's more of an effort and I've sort of got out of the habit. I still walk to work every morning (I can do it in 35 minutes on a good day) but now I have my "Old Lady's Bus Pass" getting a bus home is too tempting.
Last week I had a week off and did a couple of longish (for me) walks including one of about 6 miles along the canal towpath. By the time I got home everything was aching. I suffer from intermittent knee pain these days, which can be quite agonising at times and I'm not really sure if walking makes it better or worse!
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Abigail, I asked my GP to refer me to a physiotherapist, who gave me some very useful exercises to strengthen then knee. But I do find that regular walking helps. However, maybe 6 miles all of a sudden was a bit of a shock to the system.
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on
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quote:
Originally posted by jacobsen:
Pushing a pram probably equates with manually mowing the lawn.
That may well depend on (a) the length of the grass; and/or (b) the size of the baby.
Abigail, I'd say that walking for 35 minutes to get to w*rk was pretty impressive, and easily justifies the Old Lady Bus Pass to get home!
![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif)
[ 27. September 2016, 02:03: Message edited by: Piglet ]
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on
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The art of building strength and endurance is to go just beyond what you are comfortable with. The increase rate should be no more than 10% of the recent longest session i.e. if you walked 5 miles last weekend try 5.5 this.
If walking starts to feel uncomfortable then stick at that distance for a week or two.
Jengie
[ 27. September 2016, 13:59: Message edited by: Jengie jon ]
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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What with my morning walk, a trip to town to see the Dr and then late evening shopping I clocked up over 15,000* steps yesterday so this morning I gave myself the morning off and had a lie in until well after 07:00.
*15,589 to quote my app. The real figure will be a little more as I rarely carry my phone around the house.
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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After all that preparation (you wouldn't believe how much blue or purple clothing or old day packs I have ) the walk was cancelled ![[Waterworks]](graemlins/bawling.gif)
. There has been constant drizzle in the area for days (which is highly unusual for this part of Canterbury).
Fortunately I had my phone switched off, so didn't get the message, so we met up with the organiser to discuss whether or not to walk some of the track. She suggested we go ahead and explore the area anyway, as my companion is really experienced in the bush, and has a grunty SUV that could handle the road. We didn't make it to the waterfall as the side track was awash, but we did have a 2-3 hour walk along a ridge and the drizzle held off. Thanks to the Nordic walking poles I did not fall face down in the mud, and I really enjoyed the bush.
We have a more gentle bush walk planned for October 8, by which time I hope the weather has improved.
Today I have a choice between a river walk in my area or a walk in the city exploring the various "gap filler" and "greening the rubble" projects that have sprung up since the quakes. These are community driven temporary artworks or small gardens that have been planted where buildings used to be and have definitely added a creative interest to what is still a wasteland in many places. ![[Tear]](graemlins/tear.gif)
Of course I could wake up aching in places that I overworked today, in which case there's always my needlework.
Huia
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Well done, Huia. You sound as if a quiet day with needlework has been earned.
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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No aches but I slept like a log. Unfortunately weatherwise we have a weird combination of drizzle and high winds this morning so both events will be cancelled. It's a pity because I was looking forward to finding out the location of an old Maori pa site in the area.
Needlework it is then, at least this morning, the weather is meant to improve this afternoon.
Huia
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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...then this morning the sun will be cracking the flags and this afternoon it will tipple down!
I had to have only a short walk this morning but still managed to get over 5,000 steps and hoped to add a few this evening when the others are back from getting the biopsy results.
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Funny how the alternative to walking is needlework. I did a fair bit of sewing last weekend when it poured on Saturday, turning my cul-de-sac into a mini-lake. This weekend, however, the rain seems to be holding off, so a walklet in the Cotswolds is on the cards.
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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I like the idea of a walklet. Today's bush walk turned into a tramp, by which I mean a scramble up a hill at a speed that tested the limits of my ability, until we broke off from the main group.
Originally there were two options, a demanding 2 hour plus walk, or a botanical amble learning about the trees and other plant life. I had opted for the second as I am not fit, but even if I were I don't enjoy walking fast through the bush. I get into it so infrequently that I like to savour the experience, stopping to listen to the bellbirds and watch the fantails flitter and dance. Unfortunately the person with botanical knowledge was sick, so they merged the two, with the option of the less fit breaking away and doing a shorter loop.
Overall the day was enjoyable, but I hate the feeling that I'm holding up people who just want to get moving .
Tomorrow's walk is close to the area I live in and is on the flat, so it's well within my capabilities, and, if all else fails is on a bus route ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
.
Huia
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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This morning I did an already familiar route in the opposite direction - I have never before done it that way round and it is amazing the difference it made, it was a completely different experience and now that I have a walking companion in the mornings [a 19 year old student who wants to improve his spoken English] it all seemed to go remarkably quickly.
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on
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I think I'd be happy to join the walklet club - it sounds like just my sort of thing.
It's a beautiful day here today (currently 22°), so once D's finished with the funeral he's playing for, I might suggest a walklet - there are so many pretty places here to explore, and the trees are so beautiful in their autumn clothes, it would almost be criminal not to.
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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Minor crisis last night when the twins galloping rate of consumption of formula meant we didn't have enough in the house to last the weekend so I had to dash to get some and ended up in town, walking from one end to the other looking for the stuff they currently use so that, by the time I got back, my step tally was up to the 16,500 mark!
At least we are bringing the twins up in the family tradition of being rather fond of food!
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on
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We did have that walklet - over the walking-bridge and back. It may not be all that far, but it's so pretty, and it did make me feel good.
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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I think walking always makes me feel better, I'm so glad I've really got back into it again.
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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This morning I walked all the way to my bank ATM, at the far end of town, and back for over 11,000 steps so I rewarded myself by going back to bed when I got home, about 07:30, and then woke just before 10:30 and I feel great!
I might have said before, either here or elsewhere, that I like food but I also like sleep.
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Exercise, rest and food, in that order. After the hip replacements it was pain killers, exercise, rest and food. Nice to be able to delete the painkillers.
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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Yay for not needing painkillers Jacobsen.
I need to get walking again as I've spent too much time cross stitching over the last few weeks. I an enrolled for a Nordic Walking class at the WEA, but I don't think they will get sufficient people for it to go ahead . It's a pity as the tutor is wonderful.
Unfortunately for my exercising there is a bus that runs every 15 minutes between my place and the supermarket and my will power is weak. I need to at least walk to the shops, them I would feel less guilty about catching the bus home.
Huia
Posted by ElaineC (# 12244) on
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I'm currently working from home and I'm missing the walk to the station. I go out and walk round the block for 15 minutes before opening up the laptop. How I'll feel about doing it on dark, wet, cold mornings I don't know!
Another disadvantage is the cats - every time I get up I have to remember to shut the lid of the laptop to prevent one of them sitting on the keyboard. When I go to the kitchen I'm followed by two of them demanding food while the third one settles down on my chair.
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I need to get walking again as I've spent too much time cross stitching over the last few weeks. I an enrolled for a Nordic Walking class at the WEA, but I don't think they will get sufficient people for it to go
Could you not sort of combine the two by learning to knit those amazing Scandinavian sweaters? ![[Devil]](graemlins/devil.gif)
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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Baptist Trainfan, unfortunately I don't do ,anything as useful as knitting. It's a pity because I reckon some knitters I've seen could knit while walking
Huia.
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on
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Easy, Huia. When I was teaching and had playground duty at recess or lunch I used to knit then too. Much better than the colleague of mine who should have known better. Much experience, head of a department. In an attempt to break up a fight between two girls the intervention produced a very nasty bite.
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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I thought I had seen someone knitting while walking, but couldn't remember the context. Your post jogged my memory Lothlorien - it was a teacher on playground duty.
Huia
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Best to keep the ball of wool in a deep coat pocket, to avoid unnecessary soaking in puddles.
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on
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With my rash-y feet and my sandals rubbing when walking I have not done a morning walk for a week or so and I miss it dreadfully - the rash is slowly dispersing and I'm hoping I can get back to walking next week. Exercise, even mild stuff like walking, can be quite addictive.
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on
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Walking may be mild exercise but it is the most recommended, as far as I can make out from the magazine pundits.
Yes, I know swimming is good, but you get wet and have to get dry, and there's chlorine in your hair, and my pool has pay for parking which is a major annoyance. Too far to walk - I would have to drive.
I hope you can get back to walking soon, WW.
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on
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As I expected the WEA course failed to get enough enrolments
I have been moping about this for days and was wondering if I could contact the tutor, F and ask her for some sessions as a kind of personal trainer - just to help overcome my current inertia. Then I remembered she had mentioned being part of a group that met on Monday mornings in another part of town. Coincidently I was contacted by a *Green Prescription worker following up on a course I did last year, so I mentioned this to her and she came back to me with contact details of the group.
F is actually the contact person so I will ring her in the next few days. Even though I have to catch 2 buses it will be worth the effort of getting there.
* I'm not sure how widespread Green Prescriptions are. I think they originated in the UK. Doctors can hand out referrals to an exercise programme for people whom they think could benefit from this. In Christchurch they run 8 week Introductory courses that introduce people to a wide range of activities and act as an information resource.
Huia
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