How come walking is now so hard :-(

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.

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.......

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.

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.

You are just badly out of shape. Baby steps.

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.

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.

Think of it as a couch to 5k type thing. Start out walking 10 minutes every day or every other day for a week. Then repeat each week, adding on 50% each week cycle.

The good part about cardio is that your cardiovascular system adapts quickly at first, as do your muscles. I will get easier much more quickly.

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?

nobody enjoys it, but as you start to see your results, you'll really start to enjoy it (i say to do it every day, it gets easier the more it becomes a part of your routine). And keep in mind, the eating part is 80% of your success, so really focus on that aspect too.

When I started getting active, walking for 10 minutes made my back and legs hurt. and I didn't even cover a quarter mile. I reminded myself that when I was more active, I used to love it and that the only reason i wasn't loving it now was because I was uncomfortable..but ya know what? I was uncomfortable sitting on my *kitten* too, because of the extra weight. I knew that continuing to not be active would only make things worse, and I'd become even more uncomfortable in my skin, and that any discomfort I felt while walking would be temporary, and that over time it would disappear. You don't want to push it to the point where you're hurting yourself...but being uncomfortable while you exercise is ok...so, listen to your body. If 30 minutes pushes you to where you are too uncomfortable, then stop at 10-15 minutes. When that isn't so bad, add a few more minutes. ALLOW yourself to start small! 10 minutes is more than zero minutes. And, barring any medical conditions, you will be able to increase that consistently if you do it consistently.

3 years ago, walking more than a few minutes at a time was a challenge. Now I can run 2+ miles, and hike 6+, and walk around all day with a friend while on an adventure, and do hot yoga for 90 minutes without passing out lol, and I even tried a Spinning class this morning and managed to keep pedaling the entire time.

You can do it. Start small.