Walking too Much?

Wisks
Wisks Posts: 81 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
My primarily exercise is running which I've recently been re-introduced to and have been loving running. I run about 5-6 times a week anywhere between 5-7 miles at a time. Recently I began a new job in New York City and it entails me taking the train into the city each day. Our train station is a mile away from my apartment and to save some money on parking fees I've been walking to and from the train station. In addition, my office is also about a mile away from the train station in the city and to enjoy the recent fall weather and people watching I've been walking to and from the office from the train when time permits.

All and all, just to get to work I am walking approximately four miles. This in addition to all the other walking and being on my feet that I might be doing over the course of the day. I am concerned that, in addition to my daily runs, I am not giving my legs and body enough opportunity to recover because by the end of the day even though I enjoy my walks I can feel my legs and feet are very sore. I am concerned that eventually my walking will come at the expense of my running improvement.

Can you, when also performing daily cardio exercises, walk too much?

Replies

  • CarolMorris66
    CarolMorris66 Posts: 59
    This has actually concerned me also... I do a lot of walking.. I walk my dogs for over an hour morning and evening, totalling 6-8 miles... I am then trying to run using the C25k, but struggling!! I wonder if my body is just too tired from the walking, hence I am finding the running challenge difficult!
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    When you are walking to and from the train station/office are you walking in work shoes or are you in sneakers? because if you are in work shoes then that could be the source of your problem, because they aren't designed for that and they are not able to support your feet as well as a sneakers can.

    I think walking to and from is a great idea, maybe if you are in deed wearing sneakers during your walk to work, then minimize the amount of days you do run and see if that helps

    Goodluck
  • Wisks
    Wisks Posts: 81 Member
    I think walking to and from is a great idea, maybe if you are in deed wearing sneakers during your walk to work, then minimize the amount of days you do run and see if that helps

    Thanks for the suggestion. Only problem is I work at an Investment Bank which requires business formal dress everyday so wearing running shoes with my sneakers is difficult because it would look very strange but less vein of a reason is because I would have to carry my heavy dress shoes and I dont have enough room in my briefcase for them.

    But thanks for the advice.
  • jjs22
    jjs22 Posts: 156
    I think walking to/from work is a great idea for anybody. I started doing it a month or two ago, and it has become the core of my fitness routine; I just add walks at lunch/evenings/weekends when I want more. Besides the exercise, I think it has many other benefits : being engaged in your world, having some open space in your hectic daily routine, putting your self "out there" in the community, saving energy/resources/infrastructure utilization, etc.

    I can't imagine that 4 miles of walking, by itself, is detrimental your running. But walking in bad shoes definitely is. And for walking, any generic "dress shoe" is pretty bad.

    One thing you might try is to look into well-made shoes that are specifically made for walking. The brands Ecco and Mephisto come to mind; I'm sure there are others. These two brands are from Europe. Europeans walk a whole lot more than we (in the US) do, and in general tend to be much more traditional in their workplace fashion.

    And then the usual sport shoes companies (New Balance, Keen, ...) often try to make some of their shoes workplace-acceptable. These may not always match the classic look, but its worth searching around.

    Finally, if you're ready to let your freak flag fly, you might try walking barefoot or in some Vibram Five Fingers. As an unshod investment banker, you would totally rock. You could sneer righteously at that trite old cliche of the baby-boomer exec who still surfs.

    All kidding aside, I have started to take my shoes off for some of my walks (walking home from work, not in the morning). There's a calming zen-like aspect of mindfulness to it, a big dose of childlike freedom, as well as fantastic strengthening of the bones, muscles, and connective tissues in your feet. But, TBH, I still do it after dark when people are less likely to notice !

    Anyway, I think a walking commute is a no-brainer for your particular situation. I encourage you to explore all your options to find a way to make it work.

    Good Luck !
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