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.

Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Dec 19, 2020

In reply to @sueinmn "Too much tech for me! I thought I was doing very well to pair my FitBit..." + (show)

@sueinmn I tie on my shoes, grab my walking sticks, and go. I don't track distance nor track time. I base my walks on how I feel that day. This way it is enjoyable, and relaxing. I get to focus on the critters, trees, and weather.

This morning I think one of the "big kitties" [cougar] was by our house about 6am. Quite the snarl!
Ginger

fiesty76 | @fiesty76 | Dec 20, 2020

Oh, my goodness, @gingerw! That would be quite the wake up call!!! I'm like you with my walks. The mood each day and weather determine the length and time I spend. My primary impetus is developing the self-discipline to do the exercise outdoors. What happens along those walks are added benefits.

MGMolly | @Erinmfs | Dec 20, 2020

my Traq shoes counted 6700+ steps and 2.7 miles. Wasn't too cold yesterday to give my shoes a workout.

mayofeb2020 | @mayofeb2020 | Dec 20, 2020

Good job @Erinmfs! I was looking for some mail and found a bunch of connect email in the spam folder! How did that happen? My apologies if I didn't answer some of your posts. Have to make it a habit to check my spam folder. Temperature supposed to go up to 80 today. We'll see. Had my morning walk, warm but not 80 degrees warm. Maybe in the afternoon. Usually by now houses are adorned with Christmas decorations but I only counted one with some bows. Guess people are just not in the mood.

fiesty76 | @fiesty76 | Dec 21, 2020

@mayofeb2020, I live in an older neighborhood and many don't do much outdoor decorating. However, this year on my walks I've noticed that many more than usual began outdoor holiday decorating, starting with Halloween. That continued for displays for Thksgiving and now the same is holding true for X-mas.

Interesting how people in different locales respond to events and while I would have thought what you are experiencing would be more of the norm, I've been surprised and gladdened to see more outdoor cheer but alas, not people on my neighborhood walks.

I lost connection with both this and another group and found some posts in my Spam folder,too. Now, when I think to check and delete Spam, I continue to be surprised from time-to-time at wanted posts, replies, etc in Spam. Usually sending them back to the inmail folder corrects the problem but the amount of Spam entries is shocking.

MGMolly | @Erinmfs | Dec 21, 2020

In reply to @sueinmn "Too much tech for me! I thought I was doing very well to pair my FitBit..." + (show)

I'll confess, I'm an engineer, computer. Retired. I enjoy the challenge of techie things. I've just discovered that this new gadget does wonderful things to a phone call, a nice loud speaker for a speaker phone, I stumbled onto that. I was looking for a speaker on my computer to watch videos online, use a streaming service. I'm not into streaming yet like other people.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Dec 21, 2020

In reply to @Erinmfs "I'll confess, I'm an engineer, computer. Retired. I enjoy the challenge of techie things. I've just..." + (show)

I was a techie too - programmer, project manager, trained first as an engineer. However, I find I don't enjoy the constant changes in technology, unless they seem to offer a clear benefit over what I already have...
What I wish for is a black ice detector for Minnesota winter - I nearly took a tumble on apparently clear blacktop when out running errands today (temps are hovering right near freezing with slight mist...)
Will strap on my crampons when I go walking later.
Sue

MGMolly | @Erinmfs | Dec 21, 2020

In reply to @sueinmn "I was a techie too - programmer, project manager, trained first as an engineer. However, I..." + (show)

Walking on ice can be treacherous. I was a techie in Silicon Valley right out of college, but that was a long time ago. I was there for that 1989 earthquake, the one where the Bay Bridge collapsed, it was so scarey, so much traffic! I'm a graduate of San Jose State University. I love to hear @jakedduck1 talk about Berkeley. But I love the change of seasons and the solid ground of the midwest. Even the snow.

Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Dec 21, 2020

In reply to @sueinmn "I was a techie too - programmer, project manager, trained first as an engineer. However, I..." + (show)

@sueinmn I sure know what you mean by the black ice! Too bad it doesn’t have a neon color to it! Most of our ice is gone, replaced but the wind. Gusts up to 70mph! Awful, awful. But I took my walk anyway—must be a glutton for punishment. 😑. And, luckily, my little dog didn’t blow away!
Hope for better weather tomorrow!

mayofeb2020 | @mayofeb2020 | Dec 21, 2020

My 89 years old brother slipped on black ice couple of years ago, he didn't have a cell phone so he had to walk back to the house. Nothing was broken, but he said he had not felt the same since. It's been in the low 80s for two days now so it's great to walk in the warmth of the sun. Still chilly at night though. I'm sure this won't last but I I'll take what I can get. Having lived in S. California for decades have spoiled me. I can no longer tolerate cold weather and gusty wind.