shameless ask for praise for walking

Thursday = 16,707 steps, (6.9 miles)
Friday = 18,179 steps. (7.52 miles)

Two 18 hole golf days, carts stay on the cart path. Tired today. Going to watch The Masters on TV!

11 miles in one day is quite a lot. At my age, just doing what I am doing is enough.
 
aaronc879 said:
Absolutely too much can be a problem. A lot of USPS and UPS drivers walk 10-15 miles per day 5 days a week every week and have a lot of problems directly associated with doing so. Walking is an excellent thing to do in moderation but you can overdue it. Congrats on the 11 miles walk. Keep walking but take a break if it's causing pain.
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How much you push it and walking a fast pace makes a difference. I usually walk several miles and try to keep up a fast pace without stopping. I see the USPS workers out when I'm walking often, and they aren't walking that quickly, and they keep returning to their trucks after a while, so that makes it easier to squeeze in those miles over a whole day when walking more slowly and taking breaks.
 
street said:
I been out hiking quite a bit this spring again. I put on 5 to 7 miles in rough country and that is all I really want to do. Not sure I could do a mile or two more because my body tells me it is enough.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post you did great!!!! I am a believer as I age I do as much as my body tells me to, but I never want to say that is good enough. Keep pushing on is good so you never want to give up what you can do.
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I wish I had tried to keep my body moving when I was younger and took it for granted but since I didn't I just have to try to salvage what is left of it. The first PT told me I was too old to improve anything and so I fired them and am on the second one with outcomes TBD.
 
Your acquaintance sounds like a bit of a jerk. I'd avoid them in the future.

Ask 100 ppl if they think being able to walk a lot is unhealthy and 99 would say you're joking right?
 
Good for you! The only time I walk that much in a day is on a hike later in the summer when we have some hiking miles under our belt for the year.

I love walking. It always puts me in a better mood (I'm usually in a good one). And I like being outdoors - a walk on the treadmill doesn't do it for me. I look for the birds & animals, nod at people passing by, take in the changes in the season - the trees, the weather, the sunshine. All in all - one of the best ways to get some exercise. Walk with a friend and it is even more enjoyable - but apparently, not this friend of yours :)

I'd ignore your friend. And if this is a pattern, I'd avoid them too.
 
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Good job. I agree that walking is healthy and I think that I would quit sharing information with this person. He sounds like a negative person.
 
Dreamer said:
Good job. I agree that walking is healthy and I think that I would quit sharing information with this person. He sounds like a negative person.
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Yes I should have known better but as my real friends have died off I have not made new ones properly.
 
Seems like you would get bored walking 11 miles. How long did it take? I focus on trying to get 10k steps a day. I'm on a streak of almost 13 months.
 
jrgators said:
Seems like you would get bored walking 11 miles. How long did it take? I focus on trying to get 10k steps a day. I'm on a streak of almost 13 months.
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The time was answered earlier in thread already:
https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...-praise-for-walking-121609-2.html#post3073943

Getting bored on walks is sometimes my problem, so I'm more likely to walk in the 4 to 6 mile range with few walks over that. I a lot of my walking is in the street/road, and I'm not going to wear any type of headphones or earbuds for multiple reasons. Sometimes I do a little texting. I don't get that bored feeling when biking.

Like the OP, it seems others in the neighborhood just walk around our local neighborhood and don't walk as far as I do.
 
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I do audiobooks or music to keep away most of the boredom.
 
badatmath said:
This time last year I had been WFH for 3 years and probably didn't get more than a couple hundred steps a day around the house.

I'm in pretty poor shape overall due to 33+ years of desk jobs and lack of proper self-care, so 11 miles is pretty far for this old lady.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement. I was just shocked someone thought that the work I had put into it was bad as walking is commonly considered a safe and useful exercise. Though TBH my doctor says it is not exercise at all because it does not build muscle. I need to work up to muscles (currently in PT for some issues related to that).

But I mean really if they think it is stupid I think most people would just say "that's nice". . . I wasn't expecting a lecture.
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badatmath said:
I wish I had tried to keep my body moving when I was younger and took it for granted but since I didn't I just have to try to salvage what is left of it. The first PT told me I was too old to improve anything and so I fired them and am on the second one with outcomes TBD.
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That is an idiotic thing for a doctor to say, and that first PT is in the wrong line of work. Good for you for firing the first PT, and if I were you I'd dump the doctor too.

After reading your history, and seeing how far you have come in just one year, I am in awe of you walking 11 miles in one shot. The best I've done was 8 miles at once.

You keep going!!! :dance::dance:
 
In regards to boredom while walking - I walk 4 miles in the neighborhood with tunes playing on my phone. Or I bring my camera shooting wildlife or sometimes landscapes while hiking forest preserves / state & national parks - usually 5-9 miles.

No boredom - alway something new to see on a hike.
 
badatmath said:
Though TBH my doctor says it is not exercise at all because it does not build muscle. I need to work up to muscles (currently in PT for some issues related to that).
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Look for classes geared to older adults that includes weight training & cardio. You'll go at your own pace and do more as you get stronger. My 89 year old FiL goes to Silver Sneakers and chair yoga classes 5 days a week. He even tried a zumba class for a while. Besides the exercise, he gets some socializing in too.
 
Walking is tremendous for you both physically and mentally. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Fantastic job on going 11 miles!
If you find yourself getting bored, just go left instead of right (or vice versa) when you head out. Also if you continue walking regularly, it is well worth it to get some good shoes that support your feet well. One of the things I truly enjoy most in retirement is a nice walk around the neighborhood in the morning! Once again, great job!!!
 
Don't feel bad. I am a competitive runner. If the subject comes up, invariably I am told how bad that is for my knees, etc. After 55 years of racing, I figurevi know the pros and cons....as you know the benefits of walking.
Being active won't necessarily add years to your life but it will add life to your years!
 
RAMingione said:
Don't feel bad. I am a competitive runner. If the subject comes up, invariably I am told how bad that is for my knees, etc. After 55 years of racing, I figurevi know the pros and cons....as you know the benefits of walking.
Being active won't necessarily add years to your life but it will add life to your years!
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It does amaze me that people feel compelled to make nasty comments as though you can't judge for yourself if you like running, etc.

I think the truth is most are too lazy/out of shape/not interested in doing it but why they can't just accept we are all not exactly like them IDK.
 
GOOD FOR YOU! I have walked a portion of the "Camino de Santiago" plus completed some Volksmarches that were all over 20 km - and it was definitely an accomplishment.
Keep it up and I bet you will be more active in later years (and healthier) than the person who made that comment.

I had some nasty comments from one person last fall while on a walk. She said that I was not walking fast enough and should not consider longer walks. Uhh, at the time I had 3 blisters on the top of my foot that I got the day before, my knee was swollen and I did not want to injure it more and I was still recovering from a hamstring injury earlier that year. Even when I explained all this to her, she did not back down - and it still makes me grit my teeth.
 
In recent years I’ve started to read articles that in some cases running actually does not cause wear and tear to the joints and to some degree it may actually good for them. It probably depends on the person. I rarely run, either do cardio machines at gym or walk. In my case I think my knees or feet would hurt more if I ran, but not having tried it I don’t know that for sure.

I’m pretty sure I could walk 11 miles if I had to but a lot of stuff would be hurting along the way and afterwards, and I’d probably have to take a week break. Not many people could walk 11 miles so doing so is a significant accomplishment.
 
Walking eleven miles is great. I wouldn't worry what others say.
I am almost 77 and I walk everyday. Some days I go a mile and other days I go between two and four miles .
I am not sure I could make it eleven miles unless someone tells me I can't lol
 
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OP, my doctor is thrilled that I walk daily. She said very few people exercise on a regular basis. I would find a new doctor. Glad you replaced the PT.
 
badatmath said:
I mentioned to an acquaintance I had walked a new record (over 11 miles) the other day and got a reply of "That is so unhealthy. Why can't you just read a book or something?"

I care nothing for their opinion and barely know them in reality but calling it "unhealthy" when I thought walking was WHAT DOCTORS RECOMMEND OLD PEOPLE DO (partly) . . . was a bit much.

So as I am feeling a little blue anyway I am asking for some encouragement from my virtual friends here. . .

I really wonder why people are so nasty. . . Like even if you think it is stupid can't you just say "That's nice". . . . It wasn't like I revealed I had a drug addiction. . .

Just reminds me why I talk to so few people to begin with!
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That really is amazing. I'm barely able to do a few hundred yards at a time due to back issues. I could do more if I could deal with the pain as (apparently) there is nothing "fixable" or terribly wrong with my back. Just pain.

I guess I would say "I am envious of you!"




Good j*b!
 
Koolau said:
That really is amazing. I'm barely able to do a few hundred yards at a time due to back issues. I could do more if I could deal with the pain as (apparently) there is nothing "fixable" or terribly wrong with my back. Just pain.

I guess I would say "I am envious of you!"




Good j*b!
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My back pain is all soft tissue damage which is better than a structural issue. I have been in numerous car accidents. I use a combination of chiropractic care, massage and deep heat cream on my neck and back when in pain. I do have muscle relaxers for when my back is out really bad or I get muscle spasms. I don’t need them often but so helpful when I do.
 
Koolau said:
That really is amazing. I'm barely able to do a few hundred yards at a time due to back issues.
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If only I had other muscles that worked as well as my calves LOL. Years of neglect and desk work did me no favors.

My feet hurt 24/7 now is the biggest problem. Plantar fasciitis which podiatrist says is presenting "atyptically" and will be longer route to a fix.

Rest does not help so I do not have any excuse to slack too much. 8 miles today and yesterday both.
 
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Great walking 11 miles!

When we were in Paris last year, a few days we walked between 10-13 miles. Never felt too tired, there was so much to see to keep us interested and not think about how much we were walking :).

My best days walking are days I play golf since I walk the course. A round gets me around 6 miles, with other on those days I get to over 9 miles and 20K+ steps.
 
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