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......

[Shell4]

I quite like walking where there is mist in the air over the sea. There is something mysterious about it. But I am thinking more in chilly winters.  Oh blue wrens the little tiny birds? If it is the ones I am thinking of they are so very cute.

Yes I am still walking on the breakwall not as much as before but I am working towards walking more out there. 

I walked around a beautiful green park on Friday. The grass was just so green. And they do have many trees growing there . In November when I was there we walked through a carpet of purple flowers that had fallen from large jacandra trees. So pretty. I walked with my sister o

[Shell4]

Oh oops I pressed send before I was ready. ER I was just going to write after the walk on Friday which was with my sister we sat down on the green grass and chatted for quite a while we both noticed we were playing with tiny thin sticks from the near by tree. Just fiddling with them really, snapping them, arranging them in to miniature piles. Think 5cm long thin twigs 

[Shell4]

Oh Mr Crox, hello

Your walk sounds absolutely lovely. It definitely can help venturing outside into nature for sure. And you certainly observed a lot of it while you walked. I have never seen a platypus in the wild so that is special you saw one or maybe you are used to seeing them

[Croix]

Dear old Friend (with a wave to ER)~

No they are not all htat rare, however you only ever see two in the one patch of river, very shy and the water have to be still to see them motoring along. They barge past ducks and other waterbird who get out of their way.

They live inside a chamber in the riverbank and if you know where it is you can stand on hte bank above  and occasionally see one go in or out.

The think that amazes me is htat sometimes hte river is very flooded, fast moving and meters above the  bank totally wiping it out and changing its shape. Yet the following year they are back to  exactly the same place

Croix (Whose iceberg has never been flooded out:)

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Friend and Croix,

I find mist mysterious and lovely too. It can really make a walk atmospheric. Sometimes where I Iive, and even up in Perth where I am at the moment, there is a sea mist that rolls in. I grew up close to the coast and you could see mists coming in sometimes. In my town I sometimes experience it through the screen door where there will be this sudden refreshing feeling on my skin as it comes through. You can actually feel the quality of the air changing to this moist, cool feeling.

Yes, the blue wrens are little. The ones I usually see are the Splendid Fairy Wrens. They are so bright and colourful. Often the blue male will sit up on a vantage point such as a pointy bit of branch and watch me from there. They have a distinctive chatter they do with one another. We also get another down here called the Red Winged Fairy Wren.

The park you were in with your sister sounds so lovely. I absolutely love it when the Jacaranda trees drop their purple blossom and it creates a purple carpet. It’s like something magical. It’s so lovely to hear of your time with your sister, just sitting in the park and making the little piles of twigs while chatting. It sounds so peaceful and calming.

That is so interesting to hear about the platypus Croix. It’s amazing how they keep coming back to the same spots, even after being flooded out. When I was in Tassie with a friend some years ago, we saw them in the Tyenna River, Derwent Bridge, Cradle Mountain and at Deloraine. We always saw them at dusk. Mostly we saw them looking down from a bridge and would see them swimming along before they’d do their duck dive underwater. It was such a treat to see them.

I’m in the city at the moment so my walks have been through the city streets, but also some nice parkland. 

[Shell4]

Hi Mr Croix and ER

It is truly fascinating how the platypus comes back to the same place even after its home has most likely been flooded. It has awakened a curiosity in me to research to find out why they do it. 

[Shell4]

Today I walked in a spot I have never walked in before. I did really enjoy this walk. It may have been the canopy of Australian trees over me that helped in some way. I took my little baby nephew for a walk in his pram. He slept all the way, such a cutie pie he is. He likes a lot of movement so he got plenty as this walk was partly on a dirt gravel road. The pram was like lightly bouncing in this ridges on the road. Then I got a little stuck in some more tiny looser bits of gravel on the side. All good though. It seemed to have robust wheels on this pram. There was quite a lot of bush on both sides of me. There were a few clearer bits were piles of cut down trees where. And logs. Dust was in there air a couple of times when some cars passed us. There is something about walking where trees grow, even if there was a bit of dust on several occasions.

I walked on the gravel part , then the road turned to smooth and sealed. I looked at a house near the corner. It looked like no one lived there. It was a pretty old house. 

There were cows in the paddocks on the other side of the road. They just stared at us as I walk by 

[Shell4]

Yes the mist can just give another dimension to life. It is often in the port in winter if a cargo ship goes through at the same time and blows it's horn it echos throughout the mist. Beautiful .I don't even know if the people driving these ships can actually see where they are going. 

Ah so growing up near the coast for you is maybe why you like it so much. I am not sure. The ocean is a happy place for me we went in holidays when I was little every year to it.

Yes the little wrens. Such tiny cute little birds. The blue is so pretty, well on the ones near my mums previous place. Think there were some brown ones guessing it is the female there along the other 

Oh walking in Perth. Are you seeing some old buildings maybe some with some character. A change of scenery can be nice for some people. 

[Eagle Ray]

Hello again,

That is so lovely that you took your little baby nephew for a walk 🥰 Yes, it sounds like he got plenty of movement which often seems to be restful for babies. My friends have gone out for a drive with their baby in the middle of the night to help her get to sleep, as the moving car seems to really help. It’s lovely you got to walk in a new place too. It’s always interesting exploring new roads, places and scenes. It’s funny how cows stare like that isn’t it. It’s like they are curious.

Ah, yes, hearing the fog horn of ships in the mist is such an atmospheric thing isn’t it. It really adds to the mystical feeling. I’m guessing ships must have a lot of hi tech equipment on board these days to navigate in those conditions, but I don’t know how it all works. 

Yes, I think growing up near the ocean is why I feel a connection with it. I enjoy hearing the sound of it, especially at night. I can hear it in my town as well. Some nights it’s quite loud and other nights it’s completely quiet if it’s calm.

That’s lovely the wrens were near your mum’s previous place. Yes, the females are brown or sort of greyish as well sometimes. I find if I stay still for a while they will often hop about quite close.

I did see some lovely old buildings in Perth. I think the most elegant one is His Majesty’s Theatre. If you look that one up, you can see it is very elegant both inside and out. So much detail and work went into those old places. I also walked across a newly built bridge across the river called Boorloo Bridge. It was in the daytime but I would like to see it at night because it’s lit up with all these different colours in a beautiful lighting display. I’ve seen photos of it. I saw quite a few different birds along the river too.

[Shell4]

Earlier today I went walking out near the beach for an hour. There were a lot of people out there running, walking, pushing prams, walking with their dogs, rollerblading, fishing, swimming. I did find it quite busy. I sort of forgot it was a Saturday. I am thankful I walked along though. As I walked I watched the waves come in quick and hit the concrete wall then go back out again. I was walking on the path looking over the rail. I felt a small sprinkle of water one time as the wave hit the wall. I am fascinated by the dogs that are walking with the human family. There are so many breeds. One sausage dog with the low tummy was wearing a red checked bow tie somehow attached to his collar. On this particular path there is a beach kiosk which was packed full of people and a long large and set of stairs that led to the sand. People sit there and drink coffee or whatever else they are drinking. It is a meeting place for many. It faces the ocean. I properly would sit there if there were not so many people. But I weaved my way through the people standing and chatting around. Sometimes I just get plain peopled out. I heard a boat out on the water, it looked like life savers doing training or something. Another man was balanced on the rail in the corner. The rail was at a right angle. Another set of steps was just there too. I thought he had such an awesome balance to do that. And he was holding a rod fishing. This reminded me of my dad who use to love to fish. I walked to just when the path was started to go up hill. I didn't have enough physical energy to walk further up. I stood there looking over the rail again staring at the water, the water was a choppy green and frothy white and it  looked deep as it crashed over rocks.

Another dog was running along lead free with its human. It was less populated of people this spot. It stopped to sniff at something but not for long as the person said come and then the dog kept on running along. That is what I do sometimes people watch, dog watch and just generally observe what is around me. 

It felt good the sunshine a healing sensation on my skin. I walked back feeling encouraged.