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

JK @contentandwell and @fiesty76 -- I think it is great for massaging the feet as well as exercise for leg strength. They have a bunch of testomonial videos on their website plus if you do a search on Google "sand dune stepper + YouTube" you will see some videos done by trainers for PT. They mention it being good for Parkinsons and Osteoporosis. https://www.sanddunestepper.com/videos/ The only info that came with it was 3"x2" card below. It really does feel good stepping on it. It comes with a really big carrying case bag and a washable stretchy cover. You cannot wear shoes with it - has to be socks or barefoot.

@feisty76 This morning I walked, and then pulled a bucket of weeds. Yeah, they're in plentiful supply in my garden and flower beds! It's a beautiful morning and already hit 60 degrees before noon! I rewarded myself by sitting on the east facing patio for about half an hour, just watching the trees and the clouds. I have walked 4 days this week plus one day of doing the driveway, so I feel I have made forward progress on being more active. There is rain expected a few days from now; I want to get out every morning and do something in the flower beds before the rain comes and prompts the weeds some more. This is our first spring and summer here, so it's anyone's guess how it will go.
Ginger

JK @contentandwell and @fiesty76 -- I think it is great for massaging the feet as well as exercise for leg strength. They have a bunch of testomonial videos on their website plus if you do a search on Google "sand dune stepper + YouTube" you will see some videos done by trainers for PT. They mention it being good for Parkinsons and Osteoporosis. https://www.sanddunestepper.com/videos/ The only info that came with it was 3"x2" card below. It really does feel good stepping on it. It comes with a really big carrying case bag and a washable stretchy cover. You cannot wear shoes with it - has to be socks or barefoot.

@johnbishop I finally got to watching the video on this SandDuneStepper. It definitely looks interesting, but the price is higher than I expected for something so simple. I suspect the help it gives for osteoporosis is not in strengthening your bones probably, but in balance which is just as important and stressed strongly by doctors and physical therapists.

As you continue to use it, John, I hope you will let us know how it's going. As I said, I think $279 is a bit pricey for this so I would have to give it a good amount of thinking before purchasing.
JK

JK @contentandwell I thought it was a little spendy at $279 myself but after receiving it and using it the past week I feel it is money well spent for me. It's really well made and I love the storage bag it comes with...really nice canvas bag. I may invest in a couple of walking sticks so I don't have to bend over using it when relying on something to help with the balance. I've raised my walker as high as it goes but I still have to bend over to use it. I have to pick it up when I'm done because I've got 2 cats that still have claws and could wreck it quickly clawing the soft stretchy cover.

Today's my fasting day on my intermittent fasting schedule so no breakfast or lunch to give me the 16+ hours of fasting. I had my coffee and then used the SandDuneStepper for 30 minutes which bumped up my steps to 3407 for the day so far. I usually end up with between 6 to 7,000+ steps a day if I've done my exercises and daily to do's.

@johnbishop Thanks for your input. I do have a hiking stick that I used to use when we went to Maine, the terrain there was very rough, but I also have a walker from when I had TKRs and for me that would probably be high enough -- I'm shrinking daily.
One of the advantages of your stepper is that you can easily tote it around to any room you want to use it in, and store it easily. I could use it in our family room when watching TV, or if my husband is watching something I don't care for I can use it upstairs.
I will wait a bit longer to see how you are doing with it, or I will buy a treadmill which of course would be more expensive than the SandDuneStepper. Decisions, decisions.
Good luck with your intermittent fasting. How many days a week do you do that? I think it is not recommended for some people and I but I can't remember why. Probably if you have diabetes but at this point, with an A1c under 5, my diabetes seems to be in remission.
JK

@contentandwell I started intermittent fasting on Feb 25th and do it every other day. I learned about intermittent fasting from @LeeAase on his Health Journey - https://social-media-university-global.org/my-health-journey/. I watched a video by Dr Jason Fung that was linked in Lee's blog entry An Unfortunately Named Book (The Obesity Code). The video kind of struck a chord with me and gave me the motivation to try intermittent fasting. I did a 24 fast the first day and then read how Lee does the intermittent fasting by just skipping breakfast and lunch, eating only dinner. Here's the link with the video - https://social-media-university-global.org/2020/02/an-unfortunately-named-book/. I'm planning to keep doing intermittent fasting until I reach my weight goal of 215 pounds which is what I weighed when we first were married. I've got a little over 20 pounds left to go so it's given me some optimism for a struggle that I've had for 30 years. I'm anxious to see what it does for my Triglycerides, HDL, LDL and A1C numbers. I have a blood draw appointment for next Friday but according to my daughter Mayo has been cancelling a lot of non critical appointments and I'm not excited to visit the clinic right now anyway so it may be awhile until I know if it's had an impact on the numbers.

@contentandwell I started intermittent fasting on Feb 25th and do it every other day. I learned about intermittent fasting from @LeeAase on his Health Journey - https://social-media-university-global.org/my-health-journey/. I watched a video by Dr Jason Fung that was linked in Lee's blog entry An Unfortunately Named Book (The Obesity Code). The video kind of struck a chord with me and gave me the motivation to try intermittent fasting. I did a 24 fast the first day and then read how Lee does the intermittent fasting by just skipping breakfast and lunch, eating only dinner. Here's the link with the video - https://social-media-university-global.org/2020/02/an-unfortunately-named-book/. I'm planning to keep doing intermittent fasting until I reach my weight goal of 215 pounds which is what I weighed when we first were married. I've got a little over 20 pounds left to go so it's given me some optimism for a struggle that I've had for 30 years. I'm anxious to see what it does for my Triglycerides, HDL, LDL and A1C numbers. I have a blood draw appointment for next Friday but according to my daughter Mayo has been cancelling a lot of non critical appointments and I'm not excited to visit the clinic right now anyway so it may be awhile until I know if it's had an impact on the numbers.

Ginger, I'm feeling a wee bit jealous of your lovely outdoor time today. With several days of continuous rain and then another sudden drop in temps, I am "chomping at the bit" to join you in some down and earthy weed pulling. With a milder winter, looks like there will be a dandy crop to keep me busy and out of mischief!

@fiesty76 It was great to smell the earthy fragrance. Trying to figure out which of the green things might be plants, which might be weeds ;)) Our neighbors across the street are experiencing their first Spring here, also, but she has a lot more experience with gardening, so I lean on her for tips.

Back on the walking subject [see, @becsbuddy, I am trying to keep it on topic!] since my husband is now working from his condo down south, his daily step count has gone down dramatically. He was routinely doing 12-14,000 steps per day including several flights of stairs. Now he finds it easy to not put his fitness watch on because the step total is discouraging.
Ginger