Walking Shoes - Walking and Other Exercise

[Guest_1055]

Hey to anyone reading this.

Last night I had an idea about starting a new thread about exercise especially walking. I am aware that walking is very beneficial for our mental, emotional and physical well being. And by actually doing it....well it can make a huge difference to how we cope with the storms that we face in life.

OK, I am not real good at disciplining myself to walk, and have to really push myself to do it. And sometimes it is even hard to leave this bedroom. Anyway I am not a beginner walker, as I have stuck to sort of a plan before. So I know that it does make me feel somewhat better. But I only stayed on the plan for a couple of months, then gave up.....for whatever reason. So here I am again wanting desperately to not fail this time.

So I guess this thread is for anyone that does walk, anyone that is struggling to walk because of depression or anxiety issues. And anyone else really......

I am unsure of the outcome of all this. But my ideas included: Sharing about things we have found out about exercise especially about walking. Writing down the reasons that one would chose to walk ( like something to help motivate). Being accountable in same way. Sharing about the places where we actually do walk, like the beach, gym, around the block, with the dog, out to the clothesline and back. And any other useful tips that could help others. So here we go......

[Guest_1055]

Hello, nice to meet you Topsy.

That's great you and your hubby got on out there.

Yeah properly a good idea to take it slowly when first starting out to walk.

[Doolhof]

Hi Topsy,

Hopefully you, your husband and your dog will all regain some fitness with your walking and you will also enjoy the many benefits of being outside.

A trip to the Dr for a check up might be advisable if your husband continues to feel poorly.

After an injury, it took me quite a while to rebuild my strength so I enjoyed 5 minute walks 2 or 3 times a day until I regained strength.

Hope you find a nice place to take your dog as well.

Hope you chat some more! Cheers from Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi Shelley and All reading,

Thanks so much for sharing the story of your walk Shelley. I hope you feel encouraged while you are out walking. I know there are many benefits of exercise and walking.

To be honest, sometimes the most I feel is thankful that I actually pushed myself out the door for a walk! In a way that is an achievement I should be thankful I can manage.

Yesterday I did walk along one of the main roads. There are paddocks either side, all with crops in at present. One dam is starting to retain water so it was lovely to see some ducks back in the area. I hear a few magpies and saw some galahs as well.

There are other birds now and then, I don't know what they are called though. I was a little late for the sunrise and the sky was full of grey clouds.

Today I am hoping for a walk along a beach. I will need to drive over an hour to get there.

To be honest Shelly, I feel like I ma in quite a rut with my "low moods". I wonder who came up with that expression to describe feeling absolutely lousy and deeply depressed! Someone with a sense of humour I think!

Hope you have an okay kind of day. I tell myself that tears are healing and help to cleanse the soul.

Cheers to you and all from Mrs. D. (Dools)

[Guest_1055]

Stayed a lot of today in bed. Felt the feeling of trouble. And no reason to get up.

Decided around 2:30pm just go for a walk. So I did. Walked briskly on the beach, then sat on the sand. when I was almost at the end. Sat and watched the roaring waves coming in. Then found myself praying and crying. I did start to feel better, and knew I was not alone.

I then walked back the Breakwater Path way. I could feel a spring in my step, and just more at peace. I looked out in the port for more dolphins. I didnt see any though. Noticed people kayaking in there.

I am glad I walked out there and even glad I could sing on the way home.

But not long after I returned home, I just wasn't the same. Something moved within me, and I think the sadness or whatever that was came back. I was experiencing it again.

[Guest_1055]

Did you get the opportunity to walk on the beach Mrs D?

Your surroundings are so very different to mine. I like hearing about what you noticed around you. And hearing about where other people walk as well.

Yes I have heard that about tears as well.

[Doolhof]

Hello Shelley and all reading,

Thinking of you Shelley. Having our emotions fluctuate like the waves in the ocean can be a little frustrating and confusing at times!

It is great you were able to walk along the beach, pray to God, cry and feel better after.

As I've mentioned previously, I like to take photos while I am out walking. When I am having a not so flash moment, if possible, I have a look at my photos and I am transported to a different place.

I did get to the beach yesterday. I appreciated the walk despite the sand carting trucks, the diggers, the beach full of ruts and tyre tracks! I tried to appreciate the ocean. I did find the walk along the cut up beach too uneven and hard on my back and sore knee so walked back along a walk way that doesn't allow much of a view of the ocean, so I tried to appreciate the growth in the sandhills.

Today I am home to hope to keep myself busy with some gardening, housework, some crochet, book reading and what ever else I can find to do to keep myself occupied.

Thinking of you Shelley, best wishes for a comforting day for you, hugs from Dools and may God be close to you!

[Guest9337]

I occasionally walk with my wife who walks the dogs twice a day. I like the 4 pm walk, not the morning walk unless I've stayed up all night.

I like letting the dogs sniff a lot and rub themselves in grass at their favourite spots.

We meander.

[Guest_1055]

Oh that's great that you get out and walk some. david'n'goliath. Is that one of your dogs in your picture that do the sniffing and rolling around?

[Guest9337]

sure is, her name is Buffy.

[Guest_1055]

What are the sandhill trucks doing Mrs D? Is there erosion and they are fixing it or??

Yeah the emotions... I am still learning how to deal with them.

I am remember somewhere it is written in the bible that God collects our tears in a bottle. And another verse says that He will soon wipe away our tears. There was more to it then wiping them away, but I can only remember that part of the verse at the moment.

I imagined the tracks from the trucks are quite deep in the sand. They are such big and heavy looking trucks. The photos I saw of them were anyway. So yeah it definitely would be very uneven sand. I like to walk right near the waters edge, you know where the sand is wet yet often firm.

Hey I know you have photos of some of the surroundings where you walk. Wonder if you could record the sounds around you as well. The calming peaceful sounds. Then play them back to yourself. I know they have recordings of nature and stuff, that people listen to. But this would be your very own personal recordings. So you could look at photos you perhaps took of the ocean etc that take you back there and hear the sounds of it as well.

Anyways...

Thankyou for thinking of me and the hug. Gentle hug back to you. And I want nothing more then to be so so close to God. Clinging to Him really. All will be well with my soul if I just stay there. But often I don't find myself in that place, so I fall apart, don't want to be here and all the rest of the horrible stuff comes out, from wherever it comes out from. I cannot do life without Him. I long for Him.

Anyways again... I hope you had a calming sort of day, maybe when you were gardening.