Let’s Go Walking! Join me for a virtual walking support group

Posted by Becky, Volunteer Mentor @becsbuddy, Feb 19, 2020

Many of you living with cancer or an autoimmune disease, like me, deal with daily fatigue. You know that exercise is so important to your health, but it’s so hard. There’s always an excuse: it’s too cold or hot, it’s going to rain or it’s raining, or it’s snowy and icy, or I just don’t want to. I, too, have all these excuses, but I have a new rescue dog who wants to go out and who doesn’t care about my excuses! And I’ve got traction devices for my boots.Now I just need a walking group who will keep me accountable. People who say, ‘let’s go for a walk.'

And I thought: What about my virtual friends on MayoClinicConnect?

Mayo Clinic has an easy 12-week walking program to get us started! Here’s the link:
- Get walking with this 12-week walking schedule https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/get-walking-with-this-12-week-walking-schedule/

So let’s form a virtual walking group. We can agree to walk every day and encourage each other through Connect. We can walk outdoors, in a mall, or in the red center, or in the hallways of our apartment building.

Who’s in? Who’s going to join me?

Come on, Let’s Go Walking!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

@pollyanne

@contentandwell It could be a combination and if you see what a break from the meds creates, then you will have a better idea. At least then you will know what to concentrate on. If you don't improve perhaps you need to increase the bike for a few weeks. Are you doing any strengthening exercises for your thighs?. Sometimes that can help. I know you do other exercise some of the time. Good luck

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@pollyanne You are very obviously much better versed on which exercises benefit which body parts. I do the exercises I mentioned, plus I follow a couple of online videos for exercise on YouTube. I am sure some of these must benefit my thighs but I cannot honestly say what helps what.

There were a few leg exercises I did when I was going to the gym but there were more arm exercises than leg ones, except for doing either the treadmill or elliptical. I had worked up to about 60 pounds on the equipment for everything except for my biceps, they lag.
JK

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@contentandwell

@lioness Thanks for the feedback. I sent a message to my doctor about the medication on the portal and I got a call this morning from his office. They suggested that I stop taking the pravastatin for a week to see if that helps. If it does I guess we will find a different option for my cholesterol.

Today we will walk the track and I will try different sneakers but the ones I have been wearing are pretty well-cushioned New Balance sneakers so I am not sure that will help.
I would really like to walk on the path next to the river which I hear is nice but my husband doesn't want to go there. There are bald eagles nesting in that area too, along with other wildlife so it would be nice.
JK

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Hi contentandwell,
Wildlife are fine to see, but from a distance. Don’t forget to stay away from tics(Lyme disease), and mosquitoes, this time of year they become active. Do you have DEET spray? It’s a replicant.
River walks are pretty, but too many bugs love the water also.
Stay well,
Funcountess

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@contentandwell

@pollyanne You are very obviously much better versed on which exercises benefit which body parts. I do the exercises I mentioned, plus I follow a couple of online videos for exercise on YouTube. I am sure some of these must benefit my thighs but I cannot honestly say what helps what.

There were a few leg exercises I did when I was going to the gym but there were more arm exercises than leg ones, except for doing either the treadmill or elliptical. I had worked up to about 60 pounds on the equipment for everything except for my biceps, they lag.
JK

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@contentandwell No really I am not well versed. I would suggest looking online for thigh strengthening exercises and use weights. The amount of weight depends on how used you are to doing that type of exercise. I have been doing deep knee bends with 5lb weights and that is very light. But you need to watch your knees when you do those. There are other exercises with weights. Anyway I would experiment with a few exercises with weights to take the strain off the knee and strengthen the thighs..

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@funcountess

Hi contentandwell,
Wildlife are fine to see, but from a distance. Don’t forget to stay away from tics(Lyme disease), and mosquitoes, this time of year they become active. Do you have DEET spray? It’s a replicant.
River walks are pretty, but too many bugs love the water also.
Stay well,
Funcountess

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@funcountess we are pretty careful about ticks, but no, we do not use a repellant. I think there is a fairly wide walkway so you are not walking very close to the bushes and grasses along the walk.

@pollyanne I assumed you were since you mentioned being a trainer, didn't you? I will look up thigh strengthening exercises. Weights and all fitness equipment is literally impossible to find. Apparently everyone bought equipment when they started having to stay at home. I ordered some weights on Amazon and they were supposed to come the first week of the month but they have not and it looks as if they will not so I cancelled and ordered some others that are also back-ordered. I have one set of 8 pound weights but for some of the exercises I would like to do I need some smaller ones too, like 2 or 3 pound weights, and 5 pound weights.
Thanks for your suggestion. I wore different sneakers yesterday when walking and did not take my pravastatin last night and my thighs are not hurting today. I don't know which helped but I will stay off of the pravastatin for a week. I think I will alternate sneakers too to see if that's the problem.
JK

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@contentandwell

@funcountess we are pretty careful about ticks, but no, we do not use a repellant. I think there is a fairly wide walkway so you are not walking very close to the bushes and grasses along the walk.

@pollyanne I assumed you were since you mentioned being a trainer, didn't you? I will look up thigh strengthening exercises. Weights and all fitness equipment is literally impossible to find. Apparently everyone bought equipment when they started having to stay at home. I ordered some weights on Amazon and they were supposed to come the first week of the month but they have not and it looks as if they will not so I cancelled and ordered some others that are also back-ordered. I have one set of 8 pound weights but for some of the exercises I would like to do I need some smaller ones too, like 2 or 3 pound weights, and 5 pound weights.
Thanks for your suggestion. I wore different sneakers yesterday when walking and did not take my pravastatin last night and my thighs are not hurting today. I don't know which helped but I will stay off of the pravastatin for a week. I think I will alternate sneakers too to see if that's the problem.
JK

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@pollyann I was put on statin by my cardiologist after my TIA even though my cholesterol was normal. I tried prevastatin many many years ago, couldn't tolerate it, and lowered my cholesterol by life style changes. I found that second time around it was still bothering me, even though I was only taking 5 mg every other day. Then he changed it to Livalo 1mg every other day. It's worse if not better. My joints hurt, my legs and feet too. I asked him if I could stop for a week or so but he said it's not a good idea since I had TIA. At this point I don't know if the leg pain is caused by my back.. I have spinal stenosis, or other medical problems that could cause pain in my legs. My daughter said I nerd flexible shoes, and she has knee and ankle problems when she has wrong type of shoes on. Now I guess I have to wait to see my doctors to determine the course of action. I am really frustrated because walking is my only exercise I can do now. I would like to take a blood test to see what the cholesterol level is now. I also read that statin could have a negative effect on the liver. So what to do?

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@becsbuddy, I hope to get back to walking soon. I am taking a break because of foot pain when I was over inspired to increase my pace and distance. Resting, new shoes, and a tentative appointment with pediatrist are how I am treating it.
I really miss my quiet reflective walking times. That is why I do not like to wear a head set. (someone asked about that once before) Heck- I don't even own any.
Everyone, Please keep sending the walking stories!

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@mayofeb2020

@pollyann I was put on statin by my cardiologist after my TIA even though my cholesterol was normal. I tried prevastatin many many years ago, couldn't tolerate it, and lowered my cholesterol by life style changes. I found that second time around it was still bothering me, even though I was only taking 5 mg every other day. Then he changed it to Livalo 1mg every other day. It's worse if not better. My joints hurt, my legs and feet too. I asked him if I could stop for a week or so but he said it's not a good idea since I had TIA. At this point I don't know if the leg pain is caused by my back.. I have spinal stenosis, or other medical problems that could cause pain in my legs. My daughter said I nerd flexible shoes, and she has knee and ankle problems when she has wrong type of shoes on. Now I guess I have to wait to see my doctors to determine the course of action. I am really frustrated because walking is my only exercise I can do now. I would like to take a blood test to see what the cholesterol level is now. I also read that statin could have a negative effect on the liver. So what to do?

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@mayofeb2020 May I ask what you could not tolerate about pravastatin? Just curious since I am on it. When the doctor prescribed it he had checked the various available drugs and felt this was the best one for me, giving my being post-liver transplant but there must be others too I assume.
JK

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@contentandwell. Muscle and joint pain is the primary issue. I'm taking Coq10. I read that it could help.

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@mayofeb2020

@contentandwell. Muscle and joint pain is the primary issue. I'm taking Coq10. I read that it could help.

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Thanks, @mayofeb2020 That could fit the description of my problems too. It will be interesting to see if that is the case. Did yours start immediately? I don't think mine did but I can't be sure of exactly when it did start. I try to avoid reading side-effects except for serious ones, because I think that sometimes makes you imagine that you do have them.
JK

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@rosemarya

@becsbuddy, I hope to get back to walking soon. I am taking a break because of foot pain when I was over inspired to increase my pace and distance. Resting, new shoes, and a tentative appointment with pediatrist are how I am treating it.
I really miss my quiet reflective walking times. That is why I do not like to wear a head set. (someone asked about that once before) Heck- I don't even own any.
Everyone, Please keep sending the walking stories!

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I had a foot problem with an extra piece of bone that was rubbing against the right side of my foot...I was told by my podiatrist to take it easy and use a cold ice pack for 20 minutes at a time till the swelling came down along with Motrin or Tylenol...it worked...that was a couple of years ago, but my foot has been ok since then....walking is something that I never want to take for granted....hope you get back to your walks soon.

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