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......

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Dools, Shell and All,

It’s hard to get out some days isn’t it. I’m finding I have to take each day as it comes and see what I can manage. The walk you had in a National Park sounds lovely. I remember seeing yellow-tailed black cockatoos for the first time in Tasmania and being amazed at just how large they are. Some thinner branches they sit on seem to struggle under their wait. All of the cockatoos are such characters. I saw Major Mitchell cockatoos in the wild for the first time a few months ago when I travelled inland. I was so excited to see them. I stopped my car and watched them feeding. They were so skilled at getting the seeds out of very spiky acacia seed pods.

I’m now sitting on the ground in beautiful dappled light in a forest. I have literally just heard what sounds like a tree or very large branch come down not far away! It is calm and peaceful where I’m sitting but can’t help feeling mindful of suddenly falling branches! There is a soft breeze in the canopy and various twittering birds. I saw a big goanna at this location a few weeks ago. I will continue my walk shortly which is a loop trail.

 I hope you are all having a good day. Take care,

Eagle Ray

[Doolhof]

Hi Eagle Ray and All,

Thanks for sharing here Eagle Ray, I am not sure if I have seen Major Mitchell cockatoos or not, they certainly don't seem to be in our region. We have the sulphur crested cockatoos, galahs and white cockatoos visit our town. 

Hearing a tree or branch may have been a little disconcerting for you! I try not to park under trees when possible for that reason. The trees in our garden loose boughs and branches now and then. 

I had a walk along the farmer's track this morning. I saw a couple of kangaroos in the vineyard and some crows in the harvested canola crop that is all just stalks now. A couple of hares ran along in front of me for a while before they darted into the cereal crop. They can move very fast and are quite large. 

There was a light wind that grew stronger now and then. I stopped under a shea-oak tree and listened to the wind as it blew through the tree, to me it makes a very eerie sound. I closed my eyes and just listened. The sound transported me back to a place I used to enjoy walking when I was a child. 

The clouds were moving rather quickly through the sky, changing shapes as the breeze blew them along, they were quite wispy in places and looked whimsical. I noticed a kangaroo track in the soil that was recently softened by rains a couple of days ago.

I took photos of a couple of large gumtrees in a paddock, I would have liked to walk closer to them but did not enter the farmer's land. It was a calming walk this morning.

Wishing you all some peace and tranquillity.

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Dools and All,

I loved reading your descriptions Dools. I have always noticed the sounds of the wind in the she-oaks since a child. It is quite a haunting sound but kind of beautiful and communicative as well. There is a town I visited that borrows from an indigenous name which translates to something like whispering hills, referring to that sound of the she-oaks. I like how you just closed your eyes and listened and were transported back to the place you enjoyed walking as a child. Sensory things can be amazing like that.

I saw the Major Mitchell Cockatoos because I headed some distance inland on a trip. I had seen them in captivity before but not in the wild. They are a very pale pink and white (a lighter pink than a galah). They have a yellow and red crest that comes up just momentarily when they land, so you have to be quick if you want to get a photo of them with the crest up. They are also called The Pink Cockatoo.

Today I did just a short walk before dinner. I walked past a basketball court where teenage boys were playing basketball while listening to classic 1960s rock music. I walked down to the woodland and onto a short loop trail. I'm noticing some late season wildflowers are still there but many are fading now. It was a nice temperature after a warmish, humid day. I reflected on the dry dustiness of the track which is often wet, muddy and slushy in the winter. I heard fairy wrens chattering as the track came out into an open uphill stretch leading back to home.

Take care all,

ER

[Guest_1055]

Hello

Thankyou for sharing your descriptive walks. So much creation around us.

The other day I walked where I hadn't been before. Along a road that had a lot of trees on either side, bare paddock spaces with a few cows. A wetlands pond beyond the trees . I walked over and really looked at this old timber bridge,it was only a small one. The vegetation looked a bit tropical on either as side. I did peer down and noticed some water. It was quite cool in that spot. And I did like the bridge. Further on was an oldish yet well maintained timber house, with a wide veranda. I really liked this house as well. It would be so lovely to hang out in that large coolish looking verandah. A man was mowing on a sit in mower

 I smelt the fresh cut graslls. Further on a tiny building was in amongst the long grass on the sideof the road. Very cute. I took a photo ontj the way back. It was about the size of a children's cubby house. It had a timber floor and an old dusty desk inside. I found out later someone used to sell produce in there. Avocados. 

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Shell, Dools and All,

 I loved your description of the old timber bridge, the timber house with the wide verandah and the small, cute timber building used for selling avocados. Those sorts of things have a lot of character and can make very nice photos. I could just picture everything you described.

Instead of a walk today my exercise was weeding in the garden. I found my orange tree is producing fruit again at the moment a bit out of season. I’m not sure if it’s doing well and wonder if it’s even flowering and fruiting because it’s a bit under stress. I really haven’t been great at looking after my garden.

I stopped to smell the roses. There are yellow, red, pink and pink/white ones flowering. It’s interesting how the different coloured ones have different smells. The hydrangeas are flowering profusely. The peach tree has filled up with leaves after being bare over the winter.

It was good to get a bit done in the garden. There’s still a lot to do. I think I may need some help with some of it. There are a lot of plants in quite a small space. It was calm with just a gentle breeze this afternoon.

[Richju]

Hi everyone,

Lovely to read these positive posts. I've been getting up early and walking barefoot on the dewy grass. My frangipannis are just coming out. I love the smell. It's the little things in life that make it wonderful.

I hope you all have a great day.

Warm hugs,

Richju xxxxxx

[Doolhof]

Hi Shell, Eagle Ray, Richju and All,

It is lovely to read everyone's words here. Shell, it is interesting to walk in different areas to see what is there. I like to choose different roads to park on and go walking for 1/2 hour then return to the car.

Richju, the thought of walking on grass bare foot sounds lovely, we don't have any grass here. I have gone to our local oval to walk on the grass there now and then only it has weeds and prickles amongst the grass. I will have to find another oval so I can walk on their grass!

Eagle Ray, it is interesting what triggers our memories at times. I do find nature to be so calming. 

I've not yet been for a walk today. I opened the house up early to cool it down, seems a shame to shut it up to go for a walk. Such a shame it doesn't feel safe to leave windows open when going out or overnight to cool the house down.

Yesterday I had a walk at dawn, there was not a lot of colour in the sky, just a small patch of yellow as the sun rose and a slight pink tinge in some of the clouds. I noticed bees and earwigs in the flowers of the wild scotch thistles, other wild flowers along the roadway had bees as well. 

I saw a kangaroo in a paddock and this morning when I went out the back door, I saw a large buck  kangaroo in our garden! 

I hope to go for a walk soon before it becomes too hot! Hope you all have a good day.

[Doolhof]

Hi Everyone,

I had a walk early  yesterday before the heat and the expected wind and dry lightening thunderstorm. This morning it is raining so not sure if I will go out for a walk or not.

Yesterday I walked along the road that offers the best view here for a sunrise, there were lots of grey clouds in the sky and very little bright colour. Some clouds had a light tinge of pink which was pretty. 

A harvested canola crop is all golden yellow stems, there are a few gum trees in the paddock as well. Under one tree was a kangaroo. I saw a few magpies and parrots and heard a few other birds I don't know the names of. 

The traffic on this road has built up, so I was walking in the roadside growth, watching out for snakes and filling my socks with prickles from the dried grass. The vegetation has grown thicker over the last couple of years. Bees were in some of the wild flowers and also in some Scotch Thistle flowers as were earwigs. It makes me wonder who decided a creature should be called an earwig!

Wishing you all a good day, regards form Dools.

[Guest_16431]

hi everyone

i don't walk  much at all and when i do i just walk to the end of my street and back

i am very lacking in physical activity because my life is super chaotic at the moment and i'm not in a good headspace.

i hope i can increase walking as my GP is very much encouraging this for my mental health

i like walking in parks and to shops but only in areas where i feel I have privacy

[Richju]

Dear Sleepy21,

Sorry to hear you aren't in a good space at the moment but if you continue to read all the wonderful descriptions of walks from these posts I feel you might be encouraged to observe your natural surroundings such as listening to the birds and watching the different cloud formations as you walk. Even a short walk down to the end of the street is a good start and I'm sure you'll quickly feel the benefit of this. 

Please continue to post and let us know how you are going.

Warm regards,

Richju xxxxxxxx