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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Melgar" data-source="post: 2758343" data-attributes="member: 520626">Hey [USER=401801]@JoKalsbeek[/USER] . I feel your pain. When I was running competitively I found it difficult to remain at peak fitness, as soon as I reached peak, something would give, a calf strain, a knee would swell, sciatica would start up blah blah. I have flat feet which puts a strain on my leg ligaments and muscles. Successful athletes can stay at peak fitness levels for longer without an injury, but injuries are inevitable, no one is exempt. Someone with a compromised physical structure, for me flat feet, cannot maintain fitness long enough to reach peak performance. You are probably thinking I'm not an athlete I just want to walk a distance without my body giving out. I would answer that by saying the basics are the same. Start slow and build up. You can lesson the frequency of injury. Think of it like building a foundation for a house. If you have a weak foundation, no matter the quality of the build, your house will always be compromised. So the importance in training is a solid foundation in which to build your fitness. It's not so much about the distance, but the time you spend exercising. If I run 5 k in say 18 minutes and another runner does it in 36 minutes, that runner is working twice as hard as I am. The harder you work, the more likely you are to injure yourself. So time on your feet is more important, in my opinion, than distance. Building your fitness foundation is key to remaining injury free. Walking is a relatively has a low injury risk, but even walking, you need to start off slowly and build up, especially if you have known weaknesses such as hips, spines, knees etc. That way your muscles strengthen over time. Tiny blood vessels in your muscles increase, supplying oxygen and glucose. Glucose is converted to edenosine triphosphate or ATP. Your muscle mass increases, they can go further without straining. Your muscles support your joints, if your muscles are strong they will help support your joints. Short walks building up to longer walks. Slow walking building up to faster walking. Flat walks building up to hills. Remember it's the length of time on your feet too. The surface you are walking on is an important factor, concrete side walks are harder on the body than tarmac on the roads. Trails are better, but stones, holes and tree roots can turn an ankle. Treadmills. I have a treadmill. Mine is big and cumbersome and a bit sophisticated, so I don't use all its features. . Mine folds up, but it's still big. I haven't heard of those mats, so I have no opinion on them. Treadmill walking / jogging, interestingly, causes your muscles to fire in a different way than walking on the road. So although they are good, certainly better than not having one, it's important to know they are slightly different. Also, having your treadmill on a slight incline mimics actual walking on the flat. A flat treadmill setting is in fact like walking on a very slight decline. Running in the pool can keep your fitness up when injured, but you will not gain fitness. As an aside, I hate crowds, I can go from zero to overwhelm at the mere thought of a crowd. I have a physiological response in crowds, apart from feeling like bolting,  I cannot stop yawning. I know this is because I have issues with environmental overload on all my senses. So I do get how you feel. I kiss the spectrum, but I always tell people I can read a face. My partner cannot, which makes social interaction a total mystery. It's a given that we understand social cues, but it's not always the case, some people struggle which causes immense anxiety.   Okay I'm going off track, but I do understand where you are at Jo. I hope it helps.</blockquote>

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