Many experts claim that walking is the best activity for many things...fitness, weight loss, and many more.
We also don't notice how much of our daily activity includes walking even if it's inside.
One of my main winter activities is walking. I don't mean a fantastic amount of walking. I try to walk everyday, but weather sometimes limits walking. I have a 2 km route that I follow and I usually walk in the evening. I don't use a pedometer although I have one.
Over the last couple of years I've had a few brief nagging irritants in my walking. I've also noticed that I've slowed down and my stride is shorter. Balance is sometimes a problem.
So I was thinking recently that I better do something about these conditions. The book I recently read on Parkinson's had some basic suggestions on walking. So very simply, we lengthen our stride a little bit and speed up the steps. One simple thing is swinging the arms. The arms help to balance the body as the arm swing is opposite to the leg swing. I found this really works to improve balance. I had noticed before that my right arm didn't swing. This book made me look at other information on walking.
Good posture is crucial when it comes to walking. So straighten up. Try this . It really works. One site suggested that you should be able to draw a line through the ear , shoulder, hips ,knees and ankles.
Don't forget about the good shoes.
So my suggestion is to look at a good site on walking and then put as much of it as possible into practice.
I took my bird group out this afternoon and yes, we walked. However, I don't know how far we walked but we did see many birds. There were hundreds of white winged cross bills. They only show up about once every five years.
How about you? Do you have a regular routine for walking? What tips do you have?
The micro Manager has the green backpack. Notice the lady in the black coat has a cane! This was one of the Sunday afternoon bird walks.
Oh yes.. I try to walk regularly and cover a bit of distance. Before I got interested in photography, music helped me to keep a steady pace. Now I'm more interested in stopping here and there to snap a photo. Good tips, you've offered. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteThe big thing is to be outdoors and moving...and taking photos.
DeleteI have no routine for walking apart from at the gym (which I've been to busy to attend for a while) but i do spend much of the day on my feet. Having an arthritic knee which is soon to be replaced does limit me at the moment and I'm looking forward to proper walking again when that happens.
ReplyDeleteYou have an awesome area to walk in. Hills , views...great stuff.
DeleteA walk is always good, I like walks and bike rides. But I agree it depends on the weather wich is mostly wet, wet,wet at the moment with stormy winds.
ReplyDeleteI'm a real chicken when it comes to wet. We get very little precipitation here so it's easy to stay in when it rains. We average 12 in. of precipitation a year.
DeleteSome areas of England got more than that in a day last weekend.
DeleteHow wonderful! This is great research.
ReplyDeleteI took a walk in the forest yesterday, having been unable to for two weeks. What a treat. You are right about doing it properly, though.
Check out the link I gave as there's lots more info.
DeleteWalking is one of the best things. I love it. My husband and I both enjoy walking. When it gets really cold out, I sometimes head over to the mall to stroll around there. I figure it's better than nothing!
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of mall walks and some people really walk hard.
DeleteI walk a lot, even though I have several aches and pains. My left knee is bothering me at present and I've hauled out my braces to help. And I wouldn't even consider walking with the Senior Trailblazers on Thursdays without my trekking poles. They are essential. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'VE GOT TO GET SOME TREKKING POLES.
DeleteSince May I've taken up walking after dinner, not too much, twenty minuted at most, but I try and get my heartbeat up and I find that I'm starting to drop a few pounds.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on losing the pounds keep at it. Losing pounds has many benefits.
DeleteI get in a lot of walking through the day. I just go for comfortable shoes (boots, now, at this time of year).
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate that my feet and body aren't fussy about footwear.
DeleteI stay indoors when it is cold, but I should try to walk more! All the walking I did on vacation gave me lots of energy.
ReplyDeleteWhen it gets colder I try and walk in the early afternoon
DeleteI walk a lot during work, my shoes don't last more than a year
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting if you put on a pedometer and see how much you really walk.
DeleteGreat tips on walking Red. I love to walk, nothing better than to get out and just go. Love it! I have to be careful as I have a weak ankle due to bad sprains over the years but first chance I get I'm out of here :)
ReplyDeleteWE try to walk everyday, I am getting back to it after my spider bite and my swollen foot! I try for 1 1/2 miles a day....some days more somedays less. I feel better when I walk:)
ReplyDeleteI have always walked for exercise. Now Tom walks with me. We have a route in the neighborhood that measures 3.8 miles according to my GPS al MapMyWalk. We try to do it five times a week. This week we may not make it. We are in an atmospheric river weather pattern, with heavy rain.
ReplyDeletePosture is important, and when I realize I need a correction, I just stop and straighten my back and put my chin up.
You make a great leader of the pack. I love looking for birds in a crowd.Sat at a huge set of feeders yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIndeed we walk our GSD Lily twice a day. Short in the morning and a long afternoon walk. Winter is a challenge mostly to find placed plowed and not icy as we live in a rural area. And I also bring my binocs for birding. Crossbills are a big rarity here...:)
ReplyDeleteWalking is my favorite fitness activity, along with yoga. It's hard to swing your arms when you have a dog leash in your hand, though.
ReplyDeleteOne friend in my building has the trekking poles. I tried them. They are really neat.
ReplyDeleteI now have knee problems, and sciatic leg and a bad hip. Plus osteoarthritis.
My balance started getting bad so that is a miracle I am here at this apt. They even put me in a cut out in my tub so I can get in to step better to shower. I don't like baths. I like showers. I do walk three times a week. Two days ago we had fire alarm go off. I had to walk down stairs and up. I felt it. Most people with my problem I see. Have a red sticker on there door. So they go to the balcony. Then Firemen encase of fire would take them down a ladder. We are having new drawers and counter in bathrooms in this week. So the one guys equipment went off. So fire alarm went off. So we had to go out. It was not a fire just precaution.
Good for you! We used to go walking every evening and we haven't been doing that recently. My nurse practitioner was encouraging me to get going again. No wonder you're in such good shape.
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