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Incredible medicine for aging well: Walking!
Aging Well | Last Active: Feb 20 11:06pm | Replies (106)Comment receiving replies
Great advice! Any suggestions on what pace? Also what about for beginners or those who aren't in shape.. Im 52 and I have been trying to walk 30 minutes every day for about 6 months now. It's tougher to do in colder weather but I notice when I miss a day or two it's hard to get back started again. I am trying to build my endurance to do longer walks. If I go three days in a row for 40 minutes, my feet start having issues and I am already wearing typically great walking shoes. I wear Hokas or Brooks specifically for those with extensor tendinitis or planters fasciitis. Do you think two walks of 30 min each per day could reap same benefits? It's tough for me to carve out a solid hour at a time during the day consistently. I work and I have kids that need me. I have more time in the evening but by them I am exhausted from the day and have trouble wanting to walk at all much less for an hour. You mention you've been doing this for years, did you start at this level or was it something you had to build up to. In any case, good for you to do it as I also truly believe it equates to longevity and good health like nothing else can! Wishing you good health!
Replies to "Great advice! Any suggestions on what pace? Also what about for beginners or those who aren't..."
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I smoked for about 7 years then when I quit I started walking. This was in my 20's and as I remember it didn't take long, maybe a couple of months, for me to do an hour at about 20 minutes a mile. Now I'm fairly quick at about 17 minutes a mile? When I started, and for years after, I wore my old casual Reebok shoes until they were literally falling apart without any issue then!
I find that 1 solid hour gives me more relaxation than 2 half hour walks at different times of the day but I believe that the health benefits would be about the same. I take rest days myself and these often do wonders. The next day the walk feels amazing and my legs fresh. Taking a day off though is usually difficult though because I use walking as the cornerstone to my life!
Let me tell you, walking led me to a lifestyle that is total pure enjoyment of life that I never knew existed. Everything combined where I was able to concentrate and extract pure enjoyment out of life. I know that may sound unbelievable but it's true! Without walking it would not have happened. Right now however I moved to a city to be near a sick relative and my surroundings are currently very dangerous. I still walk almost everyday but I don't have that amazing total lifestyle that I used to have (like no safe walks by the sea!). These dangerous surroundings will however be changing sooner than later.
Good luck and I hope you really feel the benefits, and more, like I have for so many years.