I HATE walking!

[+ jeezopete]

I second the music recommendation from FreshFluff. Podcasts are good to listen to while walking also, if you can find some you like. That might even give you a reason to look forward to the walks. And along with the others who have already said it, GOOD FOR YOU!

[Epigonos]

FreshFluff great suggestion. Unfortunately the only problem is that I'm rather simple minded. I love classical music BUT when I listen to it I totally concentrate on the music. I've always found background music annoying. I read several hours a day but NEVER have music on when doing so as I find it distracting thus I read OR I listen to music NEVER both at the same time. The same is true with my walking. I'd probably start concentrating on the music and trip and break something.

[Guest]

... I absolutely HATE ever minute I walk from my first step to my last step and I don’t feel wonderfully accomplished/satisfied upon the completion of my daily walks. Feeling the way I do why you might ask do I do it? ...

Maybe you could drive to different places so that there's a change in scenery? Do you think that could help?

[marylander1940]

Epigonos, are you listening to music while you walk? That's been shown to help people exercise longer, and I enjoy it.

 

Kudos on walking 3-5 miles daily! If you're walking during the day, don't forget the hat and sunscreen.

 

and the life alert! ?

[Guest]

and the life alert! ?

I was always curious about those. What do those do that a cell phone won't? If you've fallen and can't get up, why not just dial out with your cell phone?

[+ Charlie]

When our gym closed in March, my 84 yr old spouse decided to start walking for exercise, because there was nothing else he could think of to do: he gave up biking several years ago, and we no longer have our own pool to swim. Palm Springs is pretty flat and laid out in a fairly regular grid pattern, so he got out local maps and plotted a series of 3 mile walks. Some were from our house, and some from places in town to which he would drive and park. For a while he was keeping to a schedule of one every other day. A walk usually took him one and a quarter hours, because he would sometimes stop to relax for a minute or to look carefully at something. He always told me his walking route before he left the house, so that if he didn't return in a reasonable amount of time, I would know where to search for him. This was fine when the weather was still co-operating, but now when the temperature can be over 100 by 9am, it is much more difficult, because he doesn't feel like starting out before the sun is up. So he is only doing it occasionally when circumstances line up favorably, and he can already feel the diminution in his energy level and conditioning.

 

I really hope our small gym will be usable again for him soon. It opened for only a few days last month, then quickly closed again when one of the staff tested positive. I don't use the gym, because I think exercise should be fun, and I have been able to continue playing tennis regularly for most of the shutdown.

[+ Charlie]

I was always curious about those. What do those do that a cell phone won't? If you've fallen and can't get up, why not just dial out with your cell phone?

Most people don't carry their cell phones on their person all the time, and when you have fallen in the bathroom and your cell phone is on the dresser in your bedroom, it won't do much good.

[Epigonos]

Unicorn several of my friends has suggested that I drive somewhere and walk from there. I currently have a four day repeat walk pattern. I guess driving some place would be adding an additional step to a process I don't like to begin with so I don't do it. At my age my thinking has become "rather" rigid so I guess I'm stuck the the current process.

[+ sniper]

My walking pace is eight to ten minutes per mile.

Do you mean per kilometer? 8-10 minute miles is 6-7.5 mph, that is most definitely a running speed. 8-10 minutes a kilometer would be 3.6-4.3 mph, which is still quite brisk, and particularly given your age. That's very impressive.

 

I'm in a state where the gyms show no signs of opening so I caved and now I go to the track and jog 2 minutes, walk a lap 8 times. Each week I plan to up the jogging time 15 seconds and work my way up to jog three miles, then run a lap walk a lap for two miles. I have back issues and am considerably overweight so I need to work my way up to real running. On the plus side there are some nice looking young men working out at the track.

 

You may want to add some mobility work to your routine. Walking fast is great for aerobic fitness but it doesn't help a lot with, say, your ability to get up off the floor or bend down and pick something up. A good physical therapist could give you some exercises.

 

I tell people I train to still be able to wipe my own ass and get up off the toilet, and I'm not even 50 yet...

[Epigonos]

Sniper two of my walks are three miles and two are five miles. I do the three mile walks in about 30 minutes and the five mile walks in about 45 minutes on average. Today was a good day I completed my three mile walk in 28 minutes.

[+ WilliamM]

Most people don't carry their cell phones on their person all the time, and when you have fallen in the bathroom and your cell phone is on the dresser in your bedroom, it won't do much good.

 

Agree. I seldom bring my phone when walking a few blocks to Starbucks, or Whole foods/Trader Joe's.

[uwsman2]

I started doing a daily walk when my gym closed. I am on the Upper West Side of Manhattan so Riverside Park is my venue. I am old fashioned so I am walking with Bose headphones and portable CD player. Music makes the time fly. When my apartment building re-opened our fitness room, I started working out there, but I still take the long walk a few times each week.

[+ sniper]

Most people don't carry their cell phones on their person all the time, and when you have fallen in the bathroom and your cell phone is on the dresser in your bedroom, it won't do much good.

There are a lot of smart watches now that will connect to your phone and let you make calls. But the life alert is definitely simpler to operate, and if you're, say,having a stroke, it's probably easier to just push a button as you might not have the ability to properly operate the watch.

[caliguy]

When our gym closed in March, my 84 yr old spouse decided to start walking for exercise, because there was nothing else he could think of to do: he gave up biking several years ago, and we no longer have our own pool to swim. Palm Springs is pretty flat and laid out in a fairly regular grid pattern, so he got out local maps and plotted a series of 3 mile walks. Some were from our house, and some from places in town to which he would drive and park. For a while he was keeping to a schedule of one every other day. A walk usually took him one and a quarter hours, because he would sometimes stop to relax for a minute or to look carefully at something. He always told me his walking route before he left the house, so that if he didn't return in a reasonable amount of time, I would know where to search for him. This was fine when the weather was still co-operating, but now when the temperature can be over 100 by 9am, it is much more difficult, because he doesn't feel like starting out before the sun is up. So he is only doing it occasionally when circumstances line up favorably, and he can already feel the diminution in his energy level and conditioning.

 

I really hope our small gym will be usable again for him soon. It opened for only a few days last month, then quickly closed again when one of the staff tested positive. I don't use the gym, because I think exercise should be fun, and I have been able to continue playing tennis regularly for most of the shutdown.

Maybe the gym closing was a good thing. If you wanted to stay healthy and you had two choices. The gym or walking I'd pick walking.

[mike carey]

I haven't been walking nearly enough during these times, not that I did enough beforehand of course. I really should because the irregular street patterns in Canberra and the extensive off-road cycle/walking paths here mean that you rarely have your rhythm interrupted by having to stop for a road crossing. I do walk from my house to my letter box every day, though. In contrast when I had been travelling in the US, in most cities I walked extensively. From my hotel in New York, usually around the Penn Station area to Battery Point; over the Brooklyn Bridge and around that area of Brooklyn; along the High Line; and one time from 30th to 156th up the path along the Hudson. Loved walking in Central Park. I also did a couple of long walks around San Francisco when I was there. Not much walking in Palm Springs though, only from the hotel to a Ralphs to buy beers.

[+ purplekow]

IMO it is good you are in touch with your hatred of walking. ?

Nevertheless, kudos and stay hydrated.

A while back I started a thread in which I was starting a walking program for exercise. I was good for a month or more but then I started doing it irregularly and then not at all. I had given up more or less on ever being able to exercise again. Vin Marco told me that since the California gyms were closed he was bicycling between 20 and 50 miles most days. I used to love to bike but I thought, why invest in a bike when walking was not a success. Then fate intervened. I went to my local pharmacy and ran into a former patient of mine. He told me he started biking and could only go a few blocks. But over the next year, with some minor tweaks to his diet and diligence to the biking, he had lost 110 pounds and 20 inches around the middle. What was striking about this is that he told me his starting stats and for age, height and weight, they were exactly where I am now. That made me feel that maybe I could do it. Later that same day, I went to a favorite deli near me to pick up some prepared meals for dinner. Right next door, a Trek bicycle shop had just reopened, it had been there for about 2 months before the pandemic. They were meeting customers on the sidewalk. I walked over and talked with the shop owner. While I was there, another man about my age came by and told me he had lost 40 pounds after taking up biking after knee replacement surgery 6 months ago. Several other clients came by, all with success stories of improved exercise tolerance, weight loss and improvement in general well being. I took the recommendation of the owner as to the type of bike which I should consider, a Verve 3 hybrid low rise, medium. I went on line and checked it out as they were not allowed to have customers in the showroom. When they reopen on Tuesday, I intend to call them and put in an order. They told me they could get a delivery in 3 to 4 days.

So wish me well. There are those that would say these meetings were a coincidence and while that may be, I am looking upon them as a call to action with examples of how my life can be better.

In short, Epigonos, consider a bike.

[Phil_musc]

Kudos to you, Epigonos, but no way would I classify what you are doing as walking. To do 3 miles in 30 minutes is jogging. No wonder you hate it. My suggestion, FWIW, would be to be a little less intense about it and stop to smell the roses now and again. The walk is more about moving and movement rather than getting your heart rate up.

 

PK, I bought a Trek bike back in April for this very purpose. I love it. Congratulations on a wise decision.

[+ Just966]

A while back I started a thread in which I was starting a walking program for exercise. I was good for a month or more but then I started doing it irregularly and then not at all. I had given up more or less on ever being able to exercise again. Vin Marco told me that since the California gyms were closed he was bicycling between 20 and 50 miles most days. I used to love to bike but I thought, why invest in a bike when walking was not a success. Then fate intervened. I went to my local pharmacy and ran into a former patient of mine. He told me he started biking and could only go a few blocks. But over the next year, with some minor tweaks to his diet and diligence to the biking, he had lost 110 pounds and 20 inches around the middle. What was striking about this is that he told me his starting stats and for age, height and weight, they were exactly where I am now. That made me feel that maybe I could do it. Later that same day, I went to a favorite deli near me to pick up some prepared meals for dinner. Right next door, a Trek bicycle shop had just reopened, it had been there for about 2 months before the pandemic. They were meeting customers on the sidewalk. I walked over and talked with the shop owner. While I was there, another man about my age came by and told me he had lost 40 pounds after taking up biking after knee replacement surgery 6 months ago. Several other clients came by, all with success stories of improved exercise tolerance, weight loss and improvement in general well being. I took the recommendation of the owner as to the type of bike which I should consider, a Verve 3 hybrid low rise, medium. I went on line and checked it out as they were not allowed to have customers in the showroom. When they reopen on Tuesday, I intend to call them and put in an order. They told me they could get a delivery in 3 to 4 days.

So wish me well. There are those that would say these meetings were a coincidence and while that may be, I am looking upon them as a call to action with examples of how my life can be better.

In short, Epigonos, consider a bike.

 

Biking is a great way to exercise once you get into it. Weather depending I am biking between 16 and 40 km a day and love it and is a good workout. We have a good bike path system along the river in the city I live in with a number of bridges with bike paths under the bridge to cross the river so makes it easier. Also have a lot of bike trails along the river which are a little more demanding but a lot of fun. There are also lots of apps that you can down load to map your walk which then details your fastest speed, distance biked, elevation average KMs/hr etc which I find as a great motivator as it tends to push me to beat last distance or speed etc. Got a great free new one that I am using that then turns it into a topographical type video that shows you your route, marks your top speed and can add pictures or videos during the ride that are then added into the video at the appropriate time. Unfortunately I am afair weather biker and dont bike in the summer so it is typically back to the tread mill on the winter!!

[Rod Hagen]

Epi, I also recommend the extra step of driving somewhere else. Not because a change in scenery might boost your mood, it won't. But because I don't want you walking somewhere where the ground is so uneven that you have to look down constantly.

 

You seem very self-aware, and you know that any kind of fall, after 75, can be catastrophic. Someone I'm very close to took a "tumble" at age 78, and the rest of his life will be severely impacted.

 

Either walk in your house, or drive to a flat surface. That would be my recommendation. BTW I fully recognize that you started this thread more to vent and commiserate than to seek advise, yet you are a good man and we are concerned for your health.

 

And also, men, gay and straight, live for giving advise. As Seinfeld said, if you see two men talking, you are almost guaranteed that one is explaining something to the other. Stay safe.

[RealAvalon]

Kudos to you, Epigonos, but no way would I classify what you are doing as walking. To do 3 miles in 30 minutes is jogging. No wonder you hate it. My suggestion, FWIW, would be to be a little less intense about it and stop to smell the roses now and again. The walk is more about moving and movement rather than getting your heart rate up.

 

PK, I bought a Trek bike back in April for this very purpose. I love it. Congratulations on a wise decision.

It's a good solid jog. I walk fast, and it takes me 40 minutes to do five kilometres.

I've been looking (well perhaps occasionally browsing is more accurate) for someone to show me how to race walk, I was thinking that would be easier on my knees.

[+ FrankR]

Epi, I also recommend the extra step of driving somewhere else. Not because a change in scenery might boost your mood, it won't. But because I don't want you walking somewhere where the ground is so uneven that you have to look down constantly.

 

You seem very self-aware, and you know that any kind of fall, after 75, can be catastrophic. Someone I'm very close to took a "tumble" at age 78, and the rest of his life will be severely impacted.

 

Either walk in your house, or drive to a flat surface. That would be my recommendation. BTW I fully recognize that you started this thread more to vent and commiserate than to seek advise, yet you are a good man and we are concerned for your health.

Remember when ‘mall walking’ used to be a thing? They even had clubs for those that wanted to do so with company and meet for breakfast at the food court afterwards. It is actually uncommonly sensible - good even surface and climate controlled so winter/summer, rain, snow or shine you can get your steps in...

[dbar123]

Biking is a great way to exercise once you get into it. Weather depending I am biking between 16 and 40 km a day and love it and is a good workout. We have a good bike path system along the river in the city I live in with a number of bridges with bike paths under the bridge to cross the river so makes it easier. Also have a lot of bike trails along the river which are a little more demanding but a lot of fun. There are also lots of apps that you can down load to map your walk which then details your fastest speed, distance biked, elevation average KMs/hr etc which I find as a great motivator as it tends to push me to beat last distance or speed etc. Got a great free new one that I am using that then turns it into a topographical type video that shows you your route, marks your top speed and can add pictures or videos during the ride that are then added into the video at the appropriate time. Unfortunately I am afair weather biker and dont bike in the summer so it is typically back to the tread mill on the winter!!

 

 

I much prefer biking as well. I try to bike an hour a day for at least 5 days a week. It is so much more satisfying than walking....especially if you have the right bike.