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Making that choice that changes your life.

Sco81

Sco81

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
I'm making this post in the belief this could help people. Motivate people or even get people involved in what I'm doing. 2 months ago my car broke down and it was to much for me to afford to repair. The gear box went. Not that it's important lol. Anyway that forced me to walk 1 mile each way to where I got a lift to work. After a couple of days I really wished I didn't have to. Was in pain where muscles I didn't use were in shock I guess. lol. Anyway after 2 weeks I got my car fixed. But I also started to enjoy my walks. So I actually upped my walk a mile each week until I reached 5 miles a day. Maybe it's extreme I don't know. But was wondering if anyone else does this? How they feel now and how they did? And maybe if others maybe wanted to try? And get their feed back or their story as they progress? Maybe it's a silly idea? But I love how I'm feeling. Last month I walked 5 out of 7 days a total of 100 miles. Which sounds crazy. But that's 5 miles for 5 out of 7 days. Even if people done 1 mile that's 20 miles a month. Can only help. U all welcome to tell me to do one lol I won't be offended.
 
Evening sco81, nothing wrong with what you say, the car trouble was a blessing and your post is ok. This is my opinion you understand. I can relate a lot to what you say because I am a retired ADI and used to spend all day and most evenings sat on my bottom. But when I started walking more after retirement it helped no end . Regards.
 
I made this post for feedback people's opinions etc. And also in the hope that maybe someone tries it and it helps them too. I'm happy with negative feedback also.
 
For me, walking the dogs is one of the highlights of the day. Exercise, fresh air, enjoying the scenery.
Can't imagine life without it - and then there are the health benefits too.
 
I learnt to drive later in life aged 30 and up until that point I not only walked everywhere but had my young son on a seat on the back of my bike and cycled him to nursery and all sorts of places! I loved that time and think back fondly! Sometimes we cycled in the snow and sometimes I got him chips to eat at lunchtime in his seat at the back, on the way home! Priceless! I was probably at my fittest, I then learnt to drive but also got a very active collie so was walking loads. Since then the dog has become elderly and my son is 17! I feel so unfit! I always intend to cycle to work but my bike is still hanging in the garage! Perhaps I should think of your post as inspiration?! I think it's great and keep it up, it's easy to get back in the car! :)
 
The way I look at it a mile is 15 mins of my life. And it makes me feel good. After a couple of days u might enjoy that time? 15 mins u can forget about everything and just enjoy the moment? It's never to late. But everyone has a right to live life as they see fit. I choose to push myself out my comfort it's very easy to just give up and thinks it's a lost battle isn't it?
 
The comfort zone is over rated. Fun starts well beyond that.
 
It's not just the physical impact it's the mental impact too, walking, exercise and fresh air is vital for a healthy mind. What a brilliant post, very inspirational ;)
 
The difficulty comes where somebody wants to walk, but physical issues may sometimes make it impossible..:(

I think any movement is good, anything at all, even if it is getting up out of the chair, particularly when obesity is an issue too. Agreed about the fresh air, also beneficial when there are problems with mood, depression and so on.
 
I would love to take long walks in the fresh air I used to all the time I also at one time used to run about twenty miles a day.
But all that ended when I got Myasthenia gravis now it's a virtual impossibility for me. I'm glad for others who are able and find it beneficial but sadly its not for every one.
 
I started walking part of the way to work (about 3 miles) when I hit 50. I thought that if I didn't keep my body reasonably fit in my 50s I would probably be going physically downhill in my 60s. It was difficult at first and I got shin splints for the first few weeks, but I persevered and the splints went. I got to really enjoy the walking, I was quite a fast walker and felt like I was flying along with my feet hardly touching the ground. I used to walk along back streets, across squares and parks as much as possible to avoid the traffic pollution on the main roads.
I liked the fresh air and being out in natural light, especially when it was sunny. I walked through Regents Park and it was great seeing the changes with the seasons. I looked forward to the first crocuses in Spring, then the blossom then the leaves on the trees.
And the ducklings, goslings and cygnets arriving on the lake after Easter. Then the leaves turning gold, red and brown in Autumn.

It made me feel good as well as keeping me fit. It didn't cost anything apart from needing decent walking shoes. And it didn't take much time. Instead of about allowing 40-50 minutes for the vagaries of travelling on the Underground and buses, it took only 10-15 minutes more to walk part of the journey. In the summer I would sometimes take the same route on my way home.

The only warning I would give you is not to overdo it. At the time the government was advising people to walk 10,000 steps a day (about 4.5-5 miles depending on the length of your stride). I started pushing my daily target up to over 20,000 steps a day and ended up doing more than 25,000 steps a day. During my lunch break I would walk 3 times around the block where I worked, a total of about 2,500 steps.
It ended with me getting plantar fasciitis. A painful condition of the foot which is caused by excessive pounding or weight on the muscle sheath on the base of the foot. It hurts to put any weight on it, and I was hobbling around for months. It was extremely painful for the first 3 months, and when I got home I would just lie on the sofa. It took almost a year to get over it.

Since then I have limited my walking to between 10-15,000 steps a day usually. I still enjoy walking though I can't walk as fast as I used to, and feel that it helps both my physical and mental health.
 
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:)

Oh yes. I used to aim higher too. Only 10-15,000 steps, but fitting them into my life was no mean feat.

But my knees and lower back really struggled, even on a keto diet with comparatively low inflammation (always had hyper mobile joints and have a v unstable sacro ileac joint). So now I try not to go above 10,000 and stick mainly at 7,000. (=approx 3 miles a day). It won't win me any fitness awards, but I figure my knees will last longer that way.
 
I was sports mad as a kid. I ran and ran I played football for hours and hours a day. I never stopped. I loved it. Different times to kids today I guess. But I grew up. I got a job and I sadly smoked. All that slowly became less important to the point I would use the car to go round the corner to local shops. I became really lazy and with that became depressed. Even more so when I became a diabetic at 32. I lived in denial and put the blame on everyone but myself. I was going down the road I always promised myself I wouldn't go down. As my dad did the same and died at 40 he was diabetic also. I only started to feel good when I started victoza and with the walking I was slowly building up started to feel great. And the buzz I get when I power walked 5-6 miles is great. My doctor asks what's my goal when walking some need a dog or a reason like shops etc. I should use this as a motivator. But it's actually motivating walking my way to a healthy life again.
 
Couldn't agree more with @Sco81 as I've turned into a fresh air exercise addict. After coming off my diabetes medication,I manage my type 2 with diet and exercise, I went through the same sort of process as o/p - it's gone from being a necessity for keeping my bs levels down to a daily delight, helps mental and emotional as well as physical health. Great thread @Sco81
 
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