Tonite I started my daily walking routine - Page 3

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@Thoosieroriginal wrote:
Third day in I was nursing a bad lower back - I don't know if I was too ambitious in my walking or what - back is working it's way back to normal and I'll pick up later this week. Never fails when I'm trying to get into shape!

@hoosieroriginal

It is not uncommon for many to try to rush physical fitness, be it walking/ running or any other type of exercise. It's unfortunate that that body and the brain do not communicate well when it comes to beginning, or recovering during exercise.

Most, even well seasoned athletes, do not know when they have passed the point of being injured, or slowed down in their quest of fitness, be it for a competitive sport or just walking for exercise.

Most people would stop when they felt the pain. Unfortunately the body is not connecting with the brain at the same time. It is almost always later, or the next day, or longer, before one realizes they went past "their safe point". If they felt pain during exercise, chances are pretty good they would stop.

Millions of "overuse/overzealous" injuries or small setbacks happen for that reason. The safe code for runners is "never increase your distance, or time running, over 10% per week". Walk 5 miles 1 week at no more than a half mile next week. That is a half mile in the week, not per day. So if one walks 5 days a week, that would be about an 1/8th mile per day.

What exercises have you, or are you doing to protect your back? If you are not doing any to strengthen your abdominal muscles and increase the flexibility in all your back muscles, this might be a good time to consider it. I have had 3 lumbar discs removed from my back, so I am very familiar with back pain, and it's associated referred pain. Not something to take too lightly.

Stay smart in your walking and I hope you reach whatever goals you have set for yourself.

hckynut(john)

hckynut(john)

hoosieroriginal · ‎03-04-2012

@hckynut wrote:
@Thoosieroriginal wrote:
Third day in I was nursing a bad lower back - I don't know if I was too ambitious in my walking or what - back is working it's way back to normal and I'll pick up later this week. Never fails when I'm trying to get into shape!

@hoosieroriginal

It is not uncommon for many to try to rush physical fitness, be it walking/ running or any other type of exercise. It's unfortunate that that body and the brain do not communicate well when it comes to beginning, or recovering during exercise.

Most, even well seasoned athletes, do not know when they have passed the point of being injured, or slowed down in their quest of fitness, be it for a competitive sport or just walking for exercise.

Most people would stop when they felt the pain. Unfortunately the body is not connecting with the brain at the same time. It is almost always later, or the next day, or longer, before one realizes they went past "their safe point". If they felt pain during exercise, chances are pretty good they would stop.

Millions of "overuse/overzealous" injuries or small setbacks happen for that reason. The safe code for runners is "never increase your distance, or time running, over 10% per week". Walk 5 miles 1 week at no more than a half mile next week. That is a half mile in the week, not per day. So if one walks 5 days a week, that would be about an 1/8th mile per day.

What exercises have you, or are you doing to protect your back? If you are not doing any to strengthen your abdominal muscles and increase the flexibility in all your back muscles, this might be a good time to consider it. I have had 3 lumbar discs removed from my back, so I am very familiar with back pain, and it's associated referred pain. Not something to take too lightly.

Stay smart in your walking and I hope you reach whatever goals you have set for yourself.

hckynut(john)

@hckynut - Many many years ago had an accident and have a lower disc missing now - sometimes it feels like my back is putting pressure on my hips - I usually use my Teeter inversion machine a couple of days and it rights itself - hoping to start walking again later this week. I do strength exercises every day with a pulley which really strengthen my abs, but sometimes too much walking or yard work just throw everything off. Thanks!

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@hoosieroriginal

My first back surgery removed the 2 ruptured lower spinal discs, the L-5 and the S-1. Took me about 7 months before I could play hockey again. Didn't really lose any of my flexibility, but it did permanent damage to my Sciatic Nerve and at times my right toes go numb. It's not a good feeling.

Sounds like you are taking good care of yourself and your back, happy to hear that from you. I just got a Teeter P2 Back Stretcher yesterday, works fairly well. Wanted a Teeter Inversion Table for years, but I was on Blood Pressure meds, and all my doctors said that would not be wise.

I went off my BP meds in late January so now I got the ok to invert. In early January Teeter had his top model on sale for $299.95, I wish my BP meds had been earlier and I would have bought it.

Now it is $449.95 so I am going to wait till he has another sale, at least under the above price. Hopefully it won't be months away. I had "inversion boots" made by a friend of mine back in the early 1980's. They were another plus for my back, but I needed a 2nd person to get on the ceiling height bar. It was a full 90° inversion and not a good way to start. Read about them as a help for decompression and they said it was really good for those that had lumbar or cervical disc issues, or removed.

Hope all goes well for you in your walking,

hckynut(john)

hoosieroriginal · ‎03-04-2012

@hckynut wrote:

@hoosieroriginal

My first back surgery removed the 2 ruptured lower spinal discs, the L-5 and the S-1. Took me about 7 months before I could play hockey again. Didn't really lose any of my flexibility, but it did permanent damage to my Sciatic Nerve and at times my right toes go numb. It's not a good feeling.

Sounds like you are taking good care of yourself and your back, happy to hear that from you. I just got a Teeter P2 Back Stretcher yesterday, works fairly well. Wanted a Teeter Inversion Table for years, but I was on Blood Pressure meds, and all my doctors said that would not be wise.

I went off my BP meds in late January so now I got the ok to invert. In early January Teeter had his top model on sale for $299.95, I wish my BP meds had been earlier and I would have bought it.

Now it is $449.95 so I am going to wait till he has another sale, at least under the above price. Hopefully it won't be months away. I had "inversion boots" made by a friend of mine back in the early 1980's. They were another plus for my back, but I needed a 2nd person to get on the ceiling height bar. It was a full 90° inversion and not a good way to start. Read about them as a help for decompression and they said it was really good for those that had lumbar or cervical disc issues, or removed.

Hope all goes well for you in your walking,

hckynut(john)

@hckynut I got the cheapest version of the Teeter - it is wonderful! Easy to put together, did it myself in about 20 minutes. It is one piece of equipment I will always keep. It's funny, I get the most "adjustment" in my back when I am barely inverted on it - I can actually hear and feel the popping as it adjusts. So don't think you have to invert all the way. I would love to get their heat/massage pad that goes on the Teeter, may eventually but think I would probably want to sleep on it with heat and massage - ha!

fourpaws56 · ‎03-04-2015

as much as I would love to start walking again, the thought of getting mauled by a bear or mountain lion doesn't appeal to me..I will stick to my pilates

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@fourpaws56

I have had 2 different Pilates machines. I had the early version of the Aero Pilates. It came with the stand, to get you off the floor, and I got tired of trying to get that thing quiet. It worked fine, but annoyed the heck out of me. I didn't really like being off the floor.

I sold that to my sister and bought the Pilates XP Premiere. No stand, which made it easier to fold up and move. It also had a wider sled and was a 4 band version. That got ruined when our basement flooded with sewage, along with many thousands of $$$ of other exercise equipment and electronics.

Though I ran outside for over 20 years, you couldn't buy a treadmill unless you were a hospital or Physical Therapist. The only ones made were for commercial use, and they were not sold by any source of retail.

I found a PT whose brother owned a company exclusively that sold commercial exercise equipment, and through him I was able to buy my treadmill, and 2 others for friends of mine that were also runners. From that point on over 95% of all my running, competitive running, was done on my treadmill, not outside.

Way more positives than negatives was/is my view of home treadmill training for races, and for me now trying to regain my physical fitness back after several years of medical issues keeping me from doing so.

No bears or mountain lions around here, but lots of ice covered by snow in the winter months. By the time I got off work and into my winter running gear, it was dark outside. With snow covered ice, and darkness? A bad injury waiting to happen.

On my treadmill, temperatures didn't require me to wear 10 extra pounds of clothes (exaggerating a bit), or watch every step I took in the dark, on who knows what was under the surface snow. Listen to only my favorite music/drink water any time and jump right into a shower as soon as I was finished.

The treadmill was the greatest piece of exercise equipment in my well stocked home gym. It was easy to keep an exact MPH or MPM, which elinminated guess work during my hard training days. I didn't miss a thing about running outdoors, and loved running to upbeat music on my fast run days, and moderate to slow on my long distance/time running days.

hckynut(john)

AuntG · ‎03-09-2010

Always thought I could walk for miles, but now I hobble if I try to walk a half mile. Wonder if special shoes would help me.

CANDLEQUEEN · ‎03-09-2010

@Lucky Charm wrote:
I try to get a fast paced 2 mile walk in at least once a day.

A few years ago at my physical, my doctor noted my weight going up. I told her I walked 10,000+ steps a day. She said 'Well not fast enough!'

So when my Fitbit wouldn't take a charge any more, I decided against getting a new one. I realized it's not the amount of steps that matter, it's the pace for sure.

I walk now, just to maintain my weight.

My husband told me the same thing when we started walking last year, we walk on a walking trail and twice around is equivalent to 3 miles.......The first time around we walk really brisk and quite fast paced, and the 2nd time around not so brisk, but I do see the difference....I think if you walk at a regular pace you are still doing great, and it is great for your body as well.... You just may not notice the pounds dropping off as quickly!

viva923 · ‎03-12-2010

so glad for you. i have been walking 1 miles 2x's a day wintertime and 3x's during warmer weather.

feel so much better when i take my walk. yes, there are days i just want to stay put but i push onward and so glad i do. it wakes me up and gets me motivated.

willdob3 · ‎11-01-2010

I love (power) walking in my neighborhood. I don't have a set route; I just go where my feet take me! I also have a Fitbit.

I work full time and don't my consider walking my main source of exercise. I use my Fitbit to encourage more walking throughout the day. Some days I do other exercise and don't have time to walk, some days I can squeeze in a short walk, sometimes I can get in a long one.

Honestly, there isn't a magic number of steps. That is mostly marketing. If you are more active than you used to be that is good.