Taking grandma for a walk

themostbeautifullies
themostbeautifullies Posts: 96 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
In advance, I apologize if this is not the right place for this question, because I checked out the topics and they all seem more about tips and suggestions than questions.

Anyway, I'm starting the C5K. That's all fine, except my grandma wants to walk with me. I pretty sure she doesnt want to do it and I don't think she should even try without talking to her doc first. She's 72 and has some heart problems but she loves to walk!
I even bet that she can walk for longer and faster than I do right now.

What I want to know if you guys have any sugestion about this, I mean, I can't just take her with me and start running and leave her behind! At first, I can run then walk back to her but what about later?

I don't want her to stop walking because she thinks I might left her behind, it seems very important to her to walk with me. Maybe it's her way of showing support.

Replies

  • autumnater
    autumnater Posts: 42 Member
    Sounds like you and grandma need to have a heart to heart talk....perhaps if you explain that although it means alot to you that she wants to participate... you may find yourself a bit ahead of her on the trail....and you are concerned about her health too. Maybe calling along the way by cell to check in on her and have a plan that if it gets to be too much for her, she can stop and meet up with you at a designated point.

    I think its great that she wants to do this for both you and herself and she should check in with her doc first. He or She may put limits on her participation....

    Keep us posted and let us know how it turns out and good luck with your walk! :flowerforyou:
  • MsLisaB
    MsLisaB Posts: 256
    Could you perhaps set aside a day or two for a walk with Grandma which is separate from your C25K?
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
    I think Autumnater hit it pretty square one. Make sure you're Grandma understands both what this and her enthusiasm mean to you, but make sure you express your concerns. If she still wants to join, insist she checks with a doctor first. Based on what the doctor says you can probably alter the c25k schedule a bit to incorporate her needs, and perhaps then suggest that she only joins you for 2-3 sessions a week, to give you a couple sessions to push yourself harder for personal improvement. Hope it works out! =)
  • photo_kyla
    photo_kyla Posts: 322 Member
    Maybe on the days that she joins you, you can find a local track you can use. Here one of the schools has one that the public can use for free after hours. That way she can walk and you can run laps. You would still be able to check in with her every lap and can see each other at any point around the track. And you can always walk together for your warm-up
  • caitlinclock
    caitlinclock Posts: 528 Member
    Couch to 5k is usually 3 days per week.
    Perhaps you could go on walks with your Grandma on the other days.
    I think that compromise is more than reasonable.
  • themostbeautifullies
    themostbeautifullies Posts: 96 Member
    Aww, thanks guys for the tips.
    I'll talk to her and find out if she wants to go everyday or if a couple days a week is fine with her.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    I have to say that I think your Grandma is just adorable, wanting to workout with you!! My own Grandma, who turns 90 in March, took aerobics classes with me clear up into her 80s!! She'd just hang around the back of the class, dancing in her own way when the choreography was too much for her - it was precious togetherness time for the both of us and I still smile at the memory!

    Other folks have given you some pretty good advice already - I like the track idea where she can walk at her pace while you run and it would allow you to see her and check up on her.

    Personally, I'd just make them two separate workouts - take a walk with Grandma for some together time, then either get up really early morning or later in the evening get in the C25K workout. That would allow you time with Grandma and also keep your C25K training as focused and intense as you want it to be.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • themostbeautifullies
    themostbeautifullies Posts: 96 Member
    Isnt she? :D
    We used to do yoga together and it was just like you described your grandma, she'd just hang around the back of the class doing some softcore moves. It makes me giggle just to remember it! :D

    I was trying to remember some track areas and I think there are a few places we can go. There's this place that has a lot of people her age walking with their dogs or alone that might keep her company and its even an oval shaped area where I can keep an eye on her.

    In the future, I indeed may have to separate work outs: one early morning with my grandma (yeah, she's one of those people who rises and shines at 5am) and one later at night or in the afternoon.
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