Do you go for walks alone?

ClubSilencio
ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
edited February 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
What do you think about?

How long are your walks?

What time do you like to walk?

Where do you walk?

Do you listen to music/audiobooks?

Do you say hello to other walkers? Or are you too caught up in your own world to notice anyone else?



Let us discuss the virtues of walking.

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I usually have my dog with me...I'm usually thinking that I wish my dog could walk faster, but she's old. We usually go for a mile or two...sometimes three if she's feeling good. In the summer I like walking early in the morning to watch the sunrise and I enjoy a new summer morning...in the winter we don't get out as much because dark in the AM and dark in the PM when I get home...usually walks are reserved for weekends in the winter. I live in a semi-rural community so we just walk the roads of our community. I don't usually listen to music or anything else. Yes, I say hello/good morning/good evening to other walkers.
  • cbihatt
    cbihatt Posts: 319 Member
    I haven't been walking lately because I don't like to do it in the cold, although I do walk to pick up my kid from school (less than five minutes to get there). When the weather is nice, I walk more often. I typically walk alone. Sometimes I go around my neighborhood, or there are also several parks where I live that have walking trails. Sometimes I listen to music, but not always, and I always remove my headphones when crossing busy streets. If it is a longer walk, I am more likely to want music. I like to walk in the morning, but not super early: think 9 or 10. I usually say hello or at least give a smile to other walkers, but if I see the same person more than once, I don't usually say anything after the first time. I can't say that I think about anything in particular.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    What do you think about?

    How long are your walks?

    What time do you like to walk?

    Where do you walk?

    Do you listen to music/audiobooks?

    Do you say hello to other walkers? Or are you too caught up in your own world to notice anyone else?



    Let us discuss the virtues of walking.

    I walk to and from work (~30 min each way) with an audiobook, as it's a convenient way to sneak in some activity to my desk-job lifestyle.

    Sometimes on Sunday afternoons when my husband's buddies are over and they're playing top-volume board games in my dining room, I go out and walk aimlessly for a couple hours just to get out of the house. I also always listen to audiobooks while I do this. I'll smile at people who look at me if I'm on a recreation path (I live in a city centre so mostly it's just crowded sidewalks and ignoring people so they don't think you're crazy or so you don't encourage the crazy people, but I do have access to some parkland trails) but that's it.

    I'm mostly a runner, so I would rather do that than walk except for in the case of my commute or on Sundays, because I do my long run on Saturdays and can't do another 2hr run the next day if I want to keep my knees.
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
    I walk my dog twice daily at 0500 and 2000. I think about the walk, trees, houses, stars, birds, squirrels, foxes, as well as the people and dogs that we encounter. We walk down the street where we live. I don't listen to music because that takes me away form my walk. I am very friendly and say hello to people and animals.
  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
    Yes. Round the village is a two mile circle. Next village along is three miles away and town is six. Am lucky enough to live in a beautiful area and have canal nearby so admire the scenery watch the seasons change, plus occasionally am lucky enough to spot the local wildlife.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    Creepy questions... Are you a kidnapper?
  • mandiegold941
    mandiegold941 Posts: 67 Member
    I recently started walking during my lunch break. It has been awesome. I've only skipped on days with lots of snow! I usually listen to music on pandora (trying new bands) or talk on the phone (good time to talk to my mom). I'm not sure what is better, the physical benefits, or mental ones. I try and walk fairly fast as well. Get some burn in.
  • keith883
    keith883 Posts: 17 Member
    I walk daily average 8kms per day 5 miles. I go after dinner each night. I always say hi to anyone i encounter even when i have my headphones in and not sure if they even say hi back. Right now in the winter its dark and cold (Canada) so not to many people out. I listen to music podcasts and sometimes the hockey game if its on. I try not to think of much as i find it an excellent stress relief. The worst thing i encounter other then icy sidewalks right now. Is walking up behind some one who is slower then you are. I try to make noise so i do not startle them but never fails you scare the crap out of them. I had a guy on Sunday almost have a heart attack haha. I apologized and carried on.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    Creepy questions... Are you a kidnapper?

    I know, right? Headless torso-only pic and asking me if I walk alone?
    keith883 wrote: »
    The worst thing i encounter other then icy sidewalks right now. Is walking up behind some one who is slower then you are. I try to make noise so i do not startle them but never fails you scare the crap out of them. I had a guy on Sunday almost have a heart attack haha. I apologized and carried on.

    You'd think people would expect that when walking. I was chilling after my walk, sitting down and looking out at the view. Had my headphones still going. Didn't realize a kid about 2 y/o had come up behind me with his grandma. He gets excited about something and SCREAMS right behind me. I nearly had a heart attack. Grandma apologized and I felt bad for freaking out (they probably didn't realize I had headphones in) but man, 2 y/o's can be terrifying when you don't expect them.

    Now on to answer this stalker/kidnapper's questions...

    Been listening to audiobooks a lot lately, sometimes podcasts. Walk about 3 miles during the day at work. I mapped out the distance prior and now I just walk that at whatever pace I feel like. Think about my audiobook, or sometimes my job, or sometimes personal stuff, or sometimes all the adorable little squirrels I have been seeing. I try not to space out, because then I realize I have to rewind my audiobook. I smile at everyone I pass.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i usually have my dog with me.

    length varies. up to 3 miles. usually in the evenings. sometimes in the afternoon. just depends.

    music.

    i wave but dont try to talk to me

    what do i think about? usually bitching out my best friend in my head. i hate him (which is our 20 year friendship slang for love) but damn if he doesnt annoy the snot out of me sometimes LOLOLOL

    most of the year go about every day for a walk/run/ combo but im so crazy sensitive to cold that anything below 40 (f) makes me stay in. i do go to the gym everyday but that wasn't part of this question lol
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    I walk with the puppy.

    Currently we walk 2.25 miles around our neighborhood after work. There is a small park in the middle of the walk that I really like. I need to figure out a longer route since this barely touches his energy, but I tend to be tired and hungry. I do still enjoy it, but I think I will find it more energizing as the sun starts setting later since I'm solar powered ;)

    I think about what I see on the walk, exciting things coming up in the future, or work things out if it was a bad day. No music since I want to be able to engage with the puppy and hear cars (almost got run over twice a couple nights ago by people flying out of their driveways with a large parked SUV blocking my view of them/their view of us in both cases.

    I do say hi to everyone I see, and stop to chat if they want to engage with my puppy since it is great socialization for him.
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
    *peeks into this thread with binoculars*
  • MikaMojito
    MikaMojito Posts: 680 Member
    I'm trying to get into walking, not sure if I'll keep it up.

    If there's enough daylight left, I walk a 5km stretch out into the fields and then swing around back to my town. I listen to music on one ear because I hate not hearing what's going on around me. I nod at other walkers and smile.

    If it's already dark outside, I stick to the town, which is well-lit and as safe as any place can be. I just downloaded my first audiobook and enjoyed walking more with that in the background.

    Sometimes I walk with a friend who does an 11km walk around a bigger town. We chat and say hi to people and dogs we meet. If I were doing that walk by myself, I'd probably not be using headphones, I don't trust big cities ;)
  • OneHundredToLose
    OneHundredToLose Posts: 8,523 Member
    edited February 2016
    I love going for walks. On Sunday I went for a 5-mile walk around a part of my city I'd never been to before, it was really cool.

    I also walk to and from work everyday, it's 2 miles each way. I listen to Audio Books on the way, great way to spend the time.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I walk my dog...my thoughts are random and usually dark and tend to follow the same path. I walk wherever, neighborhoods, trails, parks. Day or night, no matter the weather. I can't listen to music. Length depends on mod and weather....anywhere from 1-6 miles currently. I'd do longer though. Sometimes I say hello, sometimes I just nod, sometimes I ignore. Depends in where my thoughts took me that day.
  • Montepulciano
    Montepulciano Posts: 845 Member
    I walk almost every day, with my music. I always smile at people I pass, and am beginning to recognize the regulars on the path I take. Started off in September with just walking around the block and now most days it is around 3 to 3.5 miles. I got a fitbit for Christmas and have enjoyed watching my average heart rate come down, so becoming more fit. Recently I added every other day running for bits at a time. Going slowly with that as I am older, and want to avoid injury and, you know, a heart attack on the side of the road. I find myself in the evenings going out for a casual walk around the neighborhood just...because. Walking rocks!
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Yes, I go for walks alone all the time. I think about whatever is on my mind. I try to think about things in a fun or stress relieving way. Sometimes I have upsetting things on my mind and I imagine yelling at the people I am upset with. Lol. I do say hi, if it happens naturally. If I am caught up in my mind I don't. I don't usually listen to music. Sometimes. I walk on pathways and sidewalks or on trails in the woods. I walk laps around the park while my kids play. Sometimes I walk alone. Sometimes my older daughter joins me. Sometimes I walk with my husband. I walk anytime. But, in hot weather, I walk in the evening. In cold weather I walk earlier in the day. I sometimes plan my walks to take me places. Many benefits. Better than sitting. Stress relieving. Fresh air. Nice view. Out and about. Around people. Gets me places (I don't drive).
  • myfelinepal
    myfelinepal Posts: 13,000 Member
    I walk through the woods at night. PM me and I'll send you my location.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    You are speaking my language. I love to walk. I now have a full schedule of workouts: Zumba, yoga, kickboxing, strong lifts, cycling, etc. but walking remains near & dear to my heart. When I was my heaviest & most disorganized in terms of my health, walking was the thing I could do with the least amount of fuss or equipment or time. But it has revealed itself to be so much more than it might appear on the surface. I first started counting steps back in August. As I suspected, I already walked the recommended 10k steps a day. I was fit fat! I knew to lose weight I would need a calorie deficit so I tracked my food and upped my activity, aiming for 100k steps a week. Very soon I began to joke that the added walking was sort of like a multivitamin, a couple of Motrin, an extra dose of C and a Xanax all rolled in one activity. I still try to walk 100k steps a week along with my other workouts. About half of that is utility walking as a mom & a school sub, and the other half is fitness walking. The fitness walking is probably half urban park & sidewalk walking and half open space trail hiking. Sometimes I walk with family or friends and sometimes I walk alone. Sadly, as a woman my biggest concern is personal safety. I enjoy hiking alone but on a recent hike my friend & I returned to find her car broken into. When the sheriff showed us surveillance footage of these two huge oafs using metal tools to shatter car windows I realized hiking alone in most parks is just out of the question, which is really a shame. I think about a lot of things as I walk, both substantive & trivial. Sometimes I'm just in a sort of 'zone' as I go. I am almost always surprised & stopped by some vignette of beauty or humor along the way. I take a lot of pictures on my walks. I usually make a FB post from my hikes.
    I am not a religious person, but I would venture to say that walking is as much a spiritual practice as a fitness activity in my life at this point.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I walk daily, at least 5km .... 2.5km to work & 2.5km back..... and always on my own. I will walk the same to go shopping as well. I've walked 42km to get mascara. 17km for a light globe. I take my phone & listen to music the whole way.... or serial. If I'm not walking then I am running. I am on my feet & moving from the time I wake up till the time I get into bed (I actually can't sit down) so for me walking is my life & painkiller.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    Sometimes I walk alone (at the mall or walking track). Most of the time it's me and the pooch.

    What do you think about? Nothing, usually. For me walking is kind of like meditating. It clears and stills my brain.

    How long are your walks? Anywhere from 25 to 60 minutes, typically.

    What time do you like to walk? As early in the day as possible. Definitely before lunch.

    Where do you walk? Around the neighborhood, on the greenway, around a local walking track or at a mall.

    Do you listen to music/audiobooks? No.

    Do you say hello to other walkers? Or are you too caught up in your own world to notice anyone else? Yes, I almost always speak to other walkers. To not do so here would be considered rude.

  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
    Walk all the time...my morning routine includes walking the kids to daycare and then continuing to the gym (about 2 km). Work out. Then back home. Don't necessarily talk to others but say hello...am usually smiling so people smile back.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    Everything. Goals, random crap, how i wish I had someone to walk with but then again not since I'd rather keep my pace and not worry about keeping up with them etc

    5 miles. About an hour and whatever minutes

    Just depends on the day..

    Around the neighborhood - big circle

    Nope

    i do say hi but not always. Usually the people just look like they want to get the walk/run/bike over with/in their own heads.
  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
    What do you think about? Hmmm.....most of the time I am singing and watching the sunrise.

    How long are your walks? My walks are about 2 hours.

    What time do you like to walk? Before sunrise while everyone else is still in bed.

    Where do you walk? I go to the park.

    Do you listen to music/audiobooks? I have an iPod and I listen to music.

    Do you say hello to other walkers? Or are you too caught up in your own world to notice anyone else? If I do come across someone I say good morning.

    My family is concerned about my walking in the dark. My 30 yr old son just got himself a German Shepherd puppy and I am training him to be my walking partner. He is only 12 weeks old and our walks right now are brief. He is learning to walk on a leash and is doing well. I am looking forward to my future walks with him.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I do 20 lap blocks around the perimeter of my house/yard (I have 2 side gates on opposite sides of the yard) throughout the day and get a minimum of 20,000 steps every day doing this. Have never timed how long a block takes me.. But will do now.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    edited February 2016
    I walk with my dog 2 or 3 mornings a week (after sunrise), and we go for about 3 to 4 miles on the horse trail here. Sometimes we just meander through the neighborhood and other times we make it to the park about 2 miles away.

    I trained her when she was only 4 months old so she's a great walking partner and very athletic. We run about half of the miles.

    And yes I listen to music........loud......and still say hi to other walkers!
  • rfechter
    rfechter Posts: 109 Member
    When the weather is nice and warm I try to walk every day I do not go to the gym. I always walk alone. I just put on my headphones, listen to my music and walk the hilly streets in my neighborhood.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited February 2016
    I walk alone all the time.

    I am always aware of my surroundings.

    I carry a gun.

    LOL.
  • TeamScorpioRI
    TeamScorpioRI Posts: 56 Member
    I go for walks all the time in the summer. Its my favorite way to end the day.

    What do you think about? I try to clear my head of everything from that day. Otherwise I plan different events I have coming up

    How long are your walks? Depends on the above. The more I have going through my head, the longer I walk.

    What time do you like to walk? Usually night time, after dinner. I have been known to go out at like 2-3am if I have insomnia.

    Where do you walk? Around my neighborhood. I live in the burbs, so its nice and quiet.

    Do you listen to music/audiobooks? Nope, just my thoughts.

    Do you say hello to other walkers? Or are you too caught up in your own world to notice anyone else? I do, as a courtesy. I think too many people ignore each other, so its good to say hello.
  • Kiahz
    Kiahz Posts: 17 Member
    Lol maybe not the best first question, yeah I walk alone, also leave my back door unlocked and curtains open