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.

Happy dance here , even though it is supposed to rain all day.
I walked 4 days this week. Here are my experiences: Day 1 - talked (across the street)to a man who was planting an apple tree, "for the future". Day 2 - I broke my rule, chatted on phone with my brothers. Day 3 - I remarked to a woman about her beautiful front-of-house flowers, and she invited me to her backyard, where we visited for nearly an hour (at a safe distance) as she gave me a tour of her gardens. Day 4 - Finally saw an elderly neighbor on her porch and had a chance to visit across the driveway. And delivered prayer shawl supplies to a deaf friend who lives along my walking route, and had the enjoyment of a (safe distance) face-to-face visit.
It has been a good week for walking, physically and emotionally!
I thank all of you for sharing your walking experiences!

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Well, I had a good walking week, too. Managed at least 30 minutes each day - a few had to be done in bits due to extreme temps.
But, our little, local group of 6 walkers, any 3 or 4 who would walk each day, has shrunk to 2 as people leave for their northern homes, so it was bittersweet as we pray we will all be together again next winter.
After tomorrow, I will have a brief hiatus from my walking routine as we travel 1500 miles home. We hope for several short walks each day to break up the long drive, but sometimes weather, and where we are able to stop, make that difficult.
Keep up the good work everyone - I'll be back.
Sue

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@sueinmn

Well, I had a good walking week, too. Managed at least 30 minutes each day - a few had to be done in bits due to extreme temps.
But, our little, local group of 6 walkers, any 3 or 4 who would walk each day, has shrunk to 2 as people leave for their northern homes, so it was bittersweet as we pray we will all be together again next winter.
After tomorrow, I will have a brief hiatus from my walking routine as we travel 1500 miles home. We hope for several short walks each day to break up the long drive, but sometimes weather, and where we are able to stop, make that difficult.
Keep up the good work everyone - I'll be back.
Sue

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@sueinmn Safe on your drive! Getting out to stretch your legs and get some fresh air will be so important on that journey. My husband just drove 800 miles back to his job on this past Wed. Stopped twice to stretch and get gas, masked and gloved. For the first time he was not pulling our utility trailer, so drive was much easier [and faster!]. It will be interesting to hear your report once you grt home.
Ginger

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@rosemarya

Happy dance here , even though it is supposed to rain all day.
I walked 4 days this week. Here are my experiences: Day 1 - talked (across the street)to a man who was planting an apple tree, "for the future". Day 2 - I broke my rule, chatted on phone with my brothers. Day 3 - I remarked to a woman about her beautiful front-of-house flowers, and she invited me to her backyard, where we visited for nearly an hour (at a safe distance) as she gave me a tour of her gardens. Day 4 - Finally saw an elderly neighbor on her porch and had a chance to visit across the driveway. And delivered prayer shawl supplies to a deaf friend who lives along my walking route, and had the enjoyment of a (safe distance) face-to-face visit.
It has been a good week for walking, physically and emotionally!
I thank all of you for sharing your walking experiences!

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@rosemarya Sounds like a very good week, and uplifting to be able to have contact (at a safe distance) with many people. I can't help but be curious though, why is "chatting on phone with brothers" breaking your rule? That reminds me, I should call my brother today, and also my sister-in-law (the widow of my deceased brother).
I was finding walking on pavement and dealing with the hill on our street was really bothering my hip so yesterday we went to the HS and walked the track. It was a good change and bothered my hip less than walking on our street does. There were a few people around, some others walking or running on the track, some playing in the fields, but everyone is very respectful of keeping a distance. I do miss getting to wave or speak at a distance to neighbors. We no longer know many of the neighbors though, many have left this neighborhood to downsize. Our HS is relatively new, it was not there when my son and daughter were that age, they went to the HS in Manchester. The HS is a really beautiful facility. My son and daughter thought it was a mistake to have our own HS since our town is very homogenous. They enjoyed having new friendships in Manchester with people who were not quite so similar. I liked that aspect too.

@sueinmn I hope your drive north goes well. I presume you will need to stop along the way. Will you stay at hotels? We discussed that with my son since they would like to visit in the summer but driving here from CO cannot be accomplished without stops.
It is bittersweet as we get older, particularly in the face of the current situation, not knowing who will still be around next year. When I was going to my health club if I stopped seeing someone who had I regularly seen before I always worried about what must have happened to them.
JK

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@rosemarya

Happy dance here , even though it is supposed to rain all day.
I walked 4 days this week. Here are my experiences: Day 1 - talked (across the street)to a man who was planting an apple tree, "for the future". Day 2 - I broke my rule, chatted on phone with my brothers. Day 3 - I remarked to a woman about her beautiful front-of-house flowers, and she invited me to her backyard, where we visited for nearly an hour (at a safe distance) as she gave me a tour of her gardens. Day 4 - Finally saw an elderly neighbor on her porch and had a chance to visit across the driveway. And delivered prayer shawl supplies to a deaf friend who lives along my walking route, and had the enjoyment of a (safe distance) face-to-face visit.
It has been a good week for walking, physically and emotionally!
I thank all of you for sharing your walking experiences!

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@rosemarya, Really a perk-me-up to read of your one-on-one visits..from a distance..on your walks this week!

I've been getting in a couple of extra walks in addition to my 3/week but haven't been as fortunate in seeing people to speak to. Yesterday, I did watch a neighbor and her little 5yr old playing pitch and we visited a bit from across the street; otherwise, no one out or about when I was out this week.

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I don’t believe it! We’re starting week #9! It calls for 23minutes of walking but I think we’ve all been doing way more than that! I’m so glad that you all have been staying so dedicated to exercise and moving around. Real troopers!

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I’m in. Definitely need some structure for exercising.

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@becsbuddy

I don’t believe it! We’re starting week #9! It calls for 23minutes of walking but I think we’ve all been doing way more than that! I’m so glad that you all have been staying so dedicated to exercise and moving around. Real troopers!

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@becsbuddy I have been doing more weed pulling and yard work than walking. My knee is really bothering me, and ortho appt has been cancelled until further notice. At least being here on the property, if there is an issue, I have a chair nearby.
Ginger

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@gingerw

@becsbuddy I have been doing more weed pulling and yard work than walking. My knee is really bothering me, and ortho appt has been cancelled until further notice. At least being here on the property, if there is an issue, I have a chair nearby.
Ginger

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Hope you get some relief from your knee pain soon. Weed pulling is good movement, and definitely exercise. Stay strong!!

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@becsbuddy

I don’t believe it! We’re starting week #9! It calls for 23minutes of walking but I think we’ve all been doing way more than that! I’m so glad that you all have been staying so dedicated to exercise and moving around. Real troopers!

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@becsbuddy Time fly especially now gives us a reason to get up in the morning 9 weeks wow

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