How come walking is now so hard :-(

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Misslove36
Misslove36 Posts: 89 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I used to walk for miles, me and the hubster used to go out all day walking, now I walk 30 minutes and I'm hot and sweating and shattered!!!!!

How do you start doing something more when you know it's not enjoyable?
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Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Downshift to a 10 minute walk, then add 1 minute the next day. Wash, rinse, repeat. After a few weeks, you'll be doing 30 minute walks with no problem.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I hear ya, I used to be able to walk for hours/miles, now walking to the train station in the morning hurts. I found better shoes helped a lot and I'm just hoping it improves with time.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    and .....think back to what it was you enjoyed about walking before, try to recapture that feeling. If you approach it as a chore or work it will be.......
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Make it enjoyable. Download audiobooks from the library. Listen to podcasts...

    Consider it "your time".... whatever works.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I totally agree that good shoes make all the difference. Good shoes mean you don't feel your feet, you are not even aware of them; all you know is the rhythm of your breathing, the swing of your arms and the music in your soul.

    Are you new to walking as a planned exercise? If so, start slow and build up in both speed and distance. The results are awesome, both physically and mentally.
  • HerkMeOff
    HerkMeOff Posts: 1,002 Member
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    I totally agree that good shoes make all the difference. Good shoes mean you don't feel your feet, you are not even aware of them

    Expand on this?

    I always want to feel my feet.
  • BookMaven79
    BookMaven79 Posts: 41
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    Good shoes make all the difference. I've also found that walking with the goal of 'going somewhere' is much more enjoyable than randomly toodling around. Walk to the post office, the library, walk down a country road, etc. Pack a snack and walk to a park, eat and read a book, walk home, etc. I try to plan a long hike here and there, take my dog and a lunch, and enjoy myself. The miles pass much more easily than they do trekking down a sidewalk.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
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    I totally agree that good shoes make all the difference. Good shoes mean you don't feel your feet, you are not even aware of them

    Expand on this?

    I always want to feel my feet.

    agreed.

    when i take a really long poo, and my feet fall asleep and go numb, i stumble around like a fool.
    this is not a safe practice! feel your feet OP!
  • Misslove36
    Misslove36 Posts: 89 Member
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    As I work a fair distance from home I have bought a bus pass that gives me unlimited use of the buses, coupled with that and me getting bigger and my need to move less I have found myself busing it everywhere, when in the past it was second nature to walk........
  • sarainiowa
    sarainiowa Posts: 287 Member
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    Think about your pace. Are you trying to walk faster because it's a "workout" or are you enjoying a walk like before?
  • Misslove36
    Misslove36 Posts: 89 Member
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    I do think I need new trainers, the ones I have are lovely but I don't feel like they fit my feet, if you know what I mean
  • moonbeams896
    moonbeams896 Posts: 191 Member
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    I've started doing "real" walks since I joined here (about 3 weeks ago). I got a nice pair of earbuds and plug in to my phone and jam away to music. My dog slows me down, but now I'm trying to do a couple of walks with him and one just for me each day. If I'm worn down, I just give him a couple of walks. But, try to find something that will make it fun for you. Get some good music, or audiobooks. Something to take your mind off of the "chore" at hand.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    You are just badly out of shape. Baby steps.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Good shoes make all the difference. I've also found that walking with the goal of 'going somewhere' is much more enjoyable than randomly toodling around. Walk to the post office, the library, walk down a country road, etc. Pack a snack and walk to a park, eat and read a book, walk home, etc. I try to plan a long hike here and there, take my dog and a lunch, and enjoy myself. The miles pass much more easily than they do trekking down a sidewalk.

    Agree with this, I find aimlessly "going for a walk" is boring! I like having a destination in mind :)
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I totally agree that good shoes make all the difference. Good shoes mean you don't feel your feet, you are not even aware of them

    Expand on this?

    I always want to feel my feet.

    Don't know if you're joking or not, but...

    When I put on my first good pair of walking/running shoes (being analyzed and fitted by a specialist) after miles of wearing low budget sneakers, it felt like I was putting on my old pair of bedroom slippers. The shoes were already comfortable and I could walk for miles without being aware of pinched toes, a rubbing spot of my heel, lack of support for the arches. I just wasn't aware of my feet - I couldn't "feel" them - I just walked.

    In the last 2-3 weeks, I have become aware of my feet again. My steps and the impact of my foot striking the pavement. How my feet feel inside my shoes. It's like I'm wearing shoes again. So, this weekend I'm getting a new pair - ones that I won't feel.

    ETA: I'm not saying I don't having feeling in my feet i.e. my feet are numb. I'm just not aware of the sensation of wearing shoes.
  • Junken__Diraffe
    Junken__Diraffe Posts: 102
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    What is "not enjoyable" about walking? It's the easiest workout around. You can run errands while you walk. You can walk with a friend. You can walk for solitude. You can speed walk. You can walk on a trail or a road or through a neighborhood or on a treadmill in the case of inclimate weather. There is no exercise that is more versatile!
  • Misslove36
    Misslove36 Posts: 89 Member
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    Where I work is at the bottom of a hill and I try my hardest to get a lift up the hill rather than feel humiliated trying to walk up it at the end of the day with the younger fitter people I work with
  • shoeloveramber
    shoeloveramber Posts: 291 Member
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    Get some good music or a good book on audio and walk away. I have never walked with music before and today I did it and I was shocked how fast time went by and how it made it a lot more enjoyable. Also work up to it, if 30 minutes is too long do 15 or 20 and work your way up.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    You are just badly out of shape. Baby steps.

    Yep. Just stick with it, it'll get easier.
    Where I work is at the bottom of a hill and I try my hardest to get a lift up the hill rather than feel humiliated trying to walk up it at the end of the day with the younger fitter people I work with

    You will also want to stop avoiding hills because they are hard. The only way to make it easier is to do it, over and over again until it's no longer so difficult. You may need to slow down and take breaks at first, but that phase won't last long.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    If your shoes are uncomfortable in any way, walking will not be fun. Make sure you have comfortable shoes.

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