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]

Tonight I walked briskly up to the supermarket. It was around 6pm. Always interesting walking at this time as different aromas are waffling out of people's homes. We recognised spaghetti possibly a bolognaise. And that distinct BBQ aroma. Other times I smell washing detergent or something from someone's laundry. Just a quick brisk walk this one around 30 minutes or so.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Shell,

It’s interesting noticing the different smells isn’t it. It sometimes makes me hungry if I haven’t had dinner yet. Actually it would be interesting to do walks where smell was the main sense focused on, as so often sight and sound are prominent in what we’re noticing. But it would be interesting to really specifically focus on smell. And then there’s the feel of the air, breeze, sun etc. Walking can be such an immersive experience.

[Guest_1055]

Indeed yes walking can involve all the senses. I absolutely love the feel of air, breezes and sunshine on me. It often makes me feel alive. 

It definitely would be interesting noticing different smells. Another thing that I have found interesting and I don't know the science behind it. But I eat mostly plant based foods and I know there is a connection to it and having an intense sense of being able to smell. Some not so nice smells either. The intensity is more. I have challenges smelling chemical type smells. I can pick up metallic smells in candles, deodorants, some cleaning products and perfumes. While smelling the scent of a rose, a natural beautiful feels like my while body drinks it in. It was never like this before, when I was eating meats,cows milk etc. 

Hoping you had a restful and calm day enjoying the simple things in your life 

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

Shell I like your idea of bringing nature inside in so many different ways! Thanks for the excellent ideas. I have some shells in jars that I have collected from beaches. 

I haven't been fishing for a long time. I feel sorry for the fish now! When I was a teenager I went fishing so we had something to eat that night. Some days we had so little to eat. 

Eagle Ray, thinking of you and hoping you are able to make your self as comfortable as possible and can get out walking soon.

I'm going to have a short walk this morning before work.

Yesterday I did a virtual walk and tour in Borneo thanks to Google.

I envy those of you who have a good sense of smell. I have had sinus issues for decades so my sense of smell has diminished. Sometimes that is a good thing! Ha. Ha. 

Yesterday I spent some time laying out on the porch on cushions and watched the clouds then had the sun warming my back. It felt so healing.

[Doolhof]

Hi Shell, Eagle Ray and all reading,

I've managed a walk this morning at a slower pace. I saw part of a rainbow which was beautiful. The sky was a rich dark stormy blue black colour.

The sun highlighted a single gum tree on a small hill. The crop stubble in the foreground was a rich golden yellow straw colour, the trunk of the tree glowed almost white and the leaves were a rich dark green speckled with light. 

An orb spider was hanging upside down in its crystal encrusted web that was glowing in the sunshine. 

It was lovely going for a walk before I have to go to work. I took photos to look at during my lunch break. 

Wishing you all a day of discovery.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Dools, Shell and All,

I love the picture you've created there Dools. I can just imagine it. I love when the sky is that rich dark stormy blue black colour. And then I imagine the sun highlighting the single gum tree on the hill would have been like a contrast to that. There is nothing like early morning and evening light. The orb spider would have looked beautiful in that glowing sunshine. I'm glad you get to enjoy those things before starting work - a wonderful way to start the day.

I managed a small walk today. I had a very difficult morning of pain, emotional and physical. However, by mid afternoon I was slightly improved. I was able to drive to my favourite coastal spot. I walked to my favourite rock pool and found a sheltered spot next to it where I was a bit out of the cool wind. I sat there and read several chapters of a book I have just downloaded to the Kindle app on my phone. Every now and then I'd look up to watch the water from the adjacent bay wash into the rock pool. I loved the sound of the water bubbling amongst the rocks.

After a while increasingly stormy looking clouds were coming over. I could hear distant rumbles of thunder and there were a few drops of rain. I got up and walked along the edge of the rock pool, capturing some photos on my phone of the wonderfully shaped rocks in the foreground with the dramatic sky behind. I could see what is called virga - rain that is coming from the clouds but not reaching all the way to the ground, coming from the clouds over the ocean.

I then went up to my favourite rocky hill. I briefly tried to meditate before realising I was too weak and in pain still. I ended up lying on the rock for a long time. It is amazingly comfortable for a rock. I can always find lumbar support by positioning myself correctly. As I so often do I stayed there until nightfall. I can easily imagine sleeping there overnight. It made me realise I really want to get a swag and go bush. Sleeping in tents is ok, but a swag is even better. It feels like the most natural thing in the world to sleep under the stars. I've only slept in a swag once before, otherwise in tents. I remember kangaroos thumping past in the night and hoping they didn't land on me by accident. I'm not sure there are many things better than sleeping under the stars and it feels like the most natural thing to do. I hope I can do some such sleeps under the stars in the future.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Shell, I find that really interesting that on the plant-based diet you are more sensitive to smells. I feel that diet plays a huge role in how our sensory and nervous systems operate. Diet is a major component of healing in many cultures, such as the plant diets undertaken in the Shipibo tradition in the Amazon. Interestingly this diet is quite similar to anti-inflammatory diets recommended for people with autoimmune diseases.

I'm very sensitive too to chemical type smells such as the additives in candles, deodorants, cleaning products and perfumes. I always prefer natural smells directly from nature such as flowers growing or the ocean or the fresh smell of vegetation after rain.

I no longer have dairy or red meat, having discovered I have allergies to both. My health improved a lot without them but maybe it also opens up certain sensitivities more, like you are more attuned at a subtle level? In my case that would make sense as dairy and beef in particular had been making me sick without me realising for a long time. I no longer get sinus congestion and infections now which were constant before. It has also reduced inflammation in my body and skin. I also became more clear cognitively. So with all those disturbances out the way, perhaps a plant-based diet opens you up to subtle levels of sensory awareness? Though for me I've always had sensory sensitivity, but maybe now it is in a different way. I still eat chicken and fish, but enjoy plant-based foods and feel enriched by them.

I hope you had a restful day today and thank you for your wishes for a restful day, which I did have, especially this afternoon.

[Doolhof]

Hi Eagle Ray,

I really like your description of how you spent our day, that sounds so relaxing and calming. 

I remember being on school camps where we only had sleeping bags out in the open and no tents. A plastic sheeting underneath saved you from having a damp sleeping spot. 

A swag might be a great option, I don't know much about them. On one of my walks, there are some tangled old olive tees. I often think it would be lovely to sleep under those, some have an amazing space underneath the branches, you would feel cocooned there.

The information you and Shella re sharing about a plant based diet are interesting. Not sure if I could stick to such a diet. The benefits do sound worth it though.

I had a walk at dawn this morning. I was surprised by the lack of birds. The farmers are seeding their paddocks near us so the sheep have all mostly gone as well. The road was quite busy with cars this morning.

The sunrise was in shades of brilliant yellow, orange, pink and purples with a large amount of grey cloud which now seems to have disappeared and we now have a cloudless sky. 

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Dools, Shell and All,

Dools, it sounds like you saw another beautiful sunrise with gorgeous colours. Nature is just amazing, isn’t it!

 I was just looking at swags on the internet. A lot of them seem to be more like tents now. The downside of them is they tend to be heavier than a tent. I’m feeling quite drawn to the idea of going off on my own camping adventures once I’m more physically able.

My walk today was into town to go to the post office and supermarket. There were numerous honeyeaters feeding on flowers next to the footpath. The sky looked stormy again though it is quite still and only a few drops of rain. I met friendly people as I went about the things I needed to do, including a new town resident and my neighbour. On the way home I felt like I could feel the drop in air pressure that often happens before thunderstorms. Will be interesting to see how the weather evolves.

 I’m totally breathless after the walk. However, I researched a lot yesterday and found a supplement I’m on for perimenopausal symptoms could be what is exacerbating my liver condition including the lung stiffness that can be part of it. So I’m stopping taking it for now and hoping my breathing can normalise and it will be easier to go for walks again. There are so many walks I want to do.

Hope you’ve all been having a lovely day.

[Doolhof]

Hi Eagle Ray, Shell and All reading,

It is wonderful to read about people's walk and other exercise experiences. I saw 5 great simple exercises to do on Facebook...only problem is to remember to do them. Ha. Ha.

Eagle Ray I hope you are able to restore some of your energy and your capacity to breathe. After Covid, I took short walks and stopped often. I'm still rather breathless so will see if that continues on or not.

It was lovely you met some friendly people during your walk. I seemed to set off a lot of dogs barking this morning when I was out walking at 7.00 a.m. I felt sorry for the people living next to one dog that continued barking very loudly even when I was some distance away.

One of the gum trees had some lovely flowers starting to bloom, there was a bottlebrush in someone's yard that had a pretty pale pink flower, not one I have seen before, one of the wattles was blooming as well. 

There was a light drizzle for a while. The sky seems to be switching from sunshine to grey clouds rather rapidly.