To walk or not to walk...

impudentputz

Unfortunately i haven't started my membership with the gym yet to start on the eliptical machine, so my cardio comes from a simple walk. Ive tried jogging / running short distances to get my body used to moving faster however, the shoes i currently own are 3yrs old and have no padding inside what so ever. And the impact of running / jogging is causing alot of pain in my shins... so i cant really do that at the moment.

Can anyone give me a suggestion or two for exercises? Kinda getting bored with just walking.

bluefox9er

I actually ditched the gym just so i can walk. walk,walk,walk,walk..walk everywhere..and if you get bored, walk to or in different locations. walking is awesome.

dragonbug300

youtube has lots of great free workout videos that you can do at home. Billy Blanks is my favorite thing to look up when I can't make it to the gym.

KerriMx5

Where I walk there are small sets of stairs. So as I do laps around I do sets of stairs. It is a nice little boost to my walk. Do you have a place you could walk some stairs?

mgmlap

simply moving is awesome. I actually went for a walk with my youngest on Monday..wore my HRM...took the dogs..an easy walk for about 2 miles (45 minutes) I burned 300 calories..and almost all were in the fitness range.

I think we try to tell ourselves that we need to huff and puff..but as long as we get our heart rate up for atleast 30 minutes..it will do us good.

So you can walk for about 10 minutes..then do some lunges..then walk another 10 minutes..do pushups..ect..add some spice to your workout..

fionat29

Wave your arms around as you are walking.
Buy some new running shoes
Get an exercise DVD that you can do indoors and don't need shoes for. LOL!!

shawnscott5

I use my counter in the kitchen to do push ups, and leg lifts. Also you can use your floor for crunches, if you have a bike, go for a ride. You local indoor pool should have some great sessions. I joined a "swim to be trim" class at ours, and it is reasonable, plus it is a great workout. My pool has been closed for repairs, but it opening back up next week!! Very excited, and it burns a ton of calories per hour. Hope this helps some!

TheAncientMariner

Couch to 5K running program. I live and die by it. No gym membership required. Google it and check it out!

sandyw127

i do a walking dvd by leslie sansone. i love the dvds great workout too

heybrit

http://theskinnyveg.tumblr.com/tagged/exercise

I keep a list of all different exercise infographics and some videos if you're interested. A lot of them are scans from magazines that people post but they're stuff you can do at home. Also, have you thought about doing the 30 Day Shred? It's a home workout video by Jillian Michaels and all you need is two 3lb handweights. It's a circuit but it kicks your butt to say the least.

SusanMcAvoy

I ditched the gym too and I walk, walk, walk, walk but do it with Leslie Sansone. You can find her DVD's at Amazon.com. Her "Walk Your Belly Flat" is awesome. It's the equivalent to a 3 mile walk. Because of Leslie I have lost 34 pounds. I used to use my treadmill but Leslies DVD's really made the difference. No problems with hurting shins because she keeps it low impact. But very effective and excellent workout. Good luck!!!

laceyfowler

to walk! :-) Where are you walking? Mix it up - instead of just walking around the neighborhood, drive to a park, or an easy hiking trail, or just about anywhere else, and walk there. I've had fun just walking through really nice neighborhoods (you know, the ones with the 10 bedroom houses and perfectly manicured lawns) elsewhere. If you're near a river, lake, or ocean, walking near the ocean can be very calming and peaceful, even if you're working up a sweat.

If you want to burn more calories and build more muscle while walking, go buy a set of ankle weights and wrist weights - remember to pump your arms while walking, and you'll really feel the difference in your muscles.

Please do go and "treat yourself" to a new pair of walking/running shoes. If you have specific needs as far as your shoes, it's worth it to go get some higher end, custom shoes to meet your needs. If you just need new shoes in general, go to Marshalls, Ross, whatever is nearby - I picked up two new pairs of shoes at Ross for $20-$25 each... totally worth the investment!

You could also listen to music while you walk... or to audio books, courses, whatever - I have a smartphone, so I use pandora a lot when I'm jogging.

Just a few ideas for you - good luck :-)

Sherbog

I am addicted to walking. Love walking...would not trade it for anything. Instead of walking for distance I now walk for minutes. That way I am free to change directions and areas that I walk. Walking is time consuming but I find that I can do arm exercises at the same time. It is a great time to plan my food shopping, meal preparations, meditate or create my schedule for the day.

Going to a gym is not my thing but wish I could get into going. Meanwhile walkiing is free...:)

You do need to have good shoes for serious walking.

dogwhisperette

My biggest suggestion is to invest in proper shoes either way. If you can't afford the investment now (which I totally can understand) walk where ever you can to save on gas and put those funds away for the new proper shoes. It will be a win win situation. I love both activities but without proper shoes it would be short last due to issues. Hope this helps and have a healthy and happy day MFP

impudentputz

Well thank you very much everyone. I am in the process putting an audio book and a movie on my Droid as we speak to entertain myself a bit whilst walking. I desperately need new shoes that is going to be my treat once i hit my next goal, kinda a mental thing for me. If i want to stop being in pain i need to lose weight, sick? yes... twisted? absolutely... Gonna work? it better!

acelliott28

I walk in the mornings at the park after I get the kids off to school. I use my phone to listen to pandora and before you know it I have been walking for hours. I love to listen to music. It passes the time by. I also include the kids like we will go to the park and play sports like soccer or kick ball it helps me with my work out and the kids think Im just there to have fun with them..

jjs22

I think walking is fantastic. Real walking - outdoors, around the neighborhood, or out of town on weekends. I made it part of my day and walk to/from work.

When I started, I walked kinda slowly. As time passed, I could definitely feel the improvement and I kept bumping my pace up just a tad. But only if it felt good. It seems like the calories burned are roughly constant for a given distance, so a faster pace burns calories faster.

A few weeks ago, I tried mixing a little running in with my walks. I thought I was being careful (short distance, 2x per week), but it caused a lot of pain. I'm not sure, but I may have given myself a stress fracture. Kinda wish I hadn't done that !

If you do decide to run, I'd recommend being super-duper gradual about it. Running is hard on your body, even when you are in good shape and running with good form. For us beginners, this is never the case. It's not just your muscles that become out of shape, but also your ligaments, tendons, and even your bones. And these take much, much more time to recover from the strains of exercise ! The classic case is that your muscles feel okay, so you push beyond what the rest of your body can handle.

Anyway, whatever you choose, good luck to you !

phocid

I love to walk with my dog. He always makes the walk more interesting and fun. I can talk to him, even if he mostly ignores me and never talks back. He's a fabulous walking buddy.

We change it up sometimes by driving to a local park where there are 135 stairs. Talk about butt busting!

I would suggest getting new shoes as a necessity, not as a reward. Having the right equipment on your feet may help alleviate some of the pain you're experiencing.

momtimesone

I walk 2.5 hours a day while at work and its great,pump those arms and you get your heartrate up without having to move like a speed demon. I walk different places too like up and down hilly streets and such and so far its working great. I have also used the walk at home program but its free on demand and its so easy to use.Set a goal for yourself and each week try and get closer to that goal and good luck

stephn1

Get some new shoes because it is very painful to hurt your feet. I stress fractured my foot walking not running. Then I proceeded to damage all the soft tissue in both feet by continueing to walk thinking I had just bruised my foot. It took over a year for my feet to stop hurting. Good shoes are important.