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]

Glad you got to walk with your sister Mrs D and walk on the beach. Hoping you are doing ok 

Don't really see emus around here, or echidnas. Though my sister saw one in their large garden once. 

[Guest_1055]

I went swimming again last night and the ocean baths. They have two large tall flood lights shining into the pool. But it still seemed dark to me, as I was wearing dark goggles. I floated on my back looking up again. And it's easy to tune out and go into another world when I do that. It is calming. Swam a bit too. I also walked a little on the coastal path to find a shower. But it was locked up for the day. Did notice a heron with its tall legs. It was wandering around outside the beach kiosk. 

[Doolhof]

Hey Shell (or would you prefer to be more anonymous with Guest?)  your time in the pool sounds amazing! It was far too cold at the beach for me to go for a swim I just walked around in the water while my sister swam. 

My walk yesterday was more a glance at a dry creek bed, then a sit down to drink my coffee. I was out in the fresh air at least and looking at something different. 

I'm off for a walk shortly, just waiting for there to be enough light.

Wednesday I went walking along a dirt road. A "Blighter" in a ute came right for me! He had the whole darn road to use! There is a graded pile of rubble and loose rocks to the side of the road which is impossible to walk in unless you are a goat I would suspect. Next to that is thick weedy bush about a metre high. I was off the road as far as I could go!

Other vehicles slowed down, showed me some respect and verged onto the middle of the road. I had my high vis top on. Will be less likely to walk that particular road again in a hurry which is a shame as the scenery there is lovely.

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Guest and Dools and All

I’m just getting back to this thread and really enjoyed reading about your walks and activities. I don’t have a walk to report today as I did volunteer work this morning then came home and slept as I was exhausted. I think I walked in my dreams but details are hazy.

But wanted to answer your question a few posts back Guest (like Dools, I thought I better check if you prefer Guest or Shell?).

 I agree that the checkout person asking how is your day is a different level of human contact/intimacy than someone closer to us with whom we have a personal relationship. I have spent much of my life shying away from intimacy due to not feeling safe as a child, and yet it’s very meaningful to me and I know important.

 I guess this is an interesting thread in relation to that as walking in nature and connecting with nature became my first relationship with the world. I’ve always felt a deep emotional intimacy with plants and animals which seems to have been innate in me from the beginning of life (so I loved reading here about the German shepherd, echidna etc).

But people have always been a bit more scary for me based on early life experience. Having said that, it’s starting to change for me and I’m beginning to trust more with people and feel a little safer. As this is happening I’m experiencing feelings of being closer to people that are nurturing. I’m finding this is happening even in those seemingly routine encounters with people at checkouts and that kind of thing, where I have a really nice interaction that lifts my day and their day. Even though it’s obviously a transient interaction with someone I’m not actually personally close with.

Perhaps what I’m trying to say is I’m starting to see all humans as like brothers/sisters/family in the same way I’ve always experienced plants and animals like family. That way I feel part of one big family.

In terms of closer intimacy, I feel like the capacity for that increases as my heart opens to all people and I increasingly feel safe in the world around me.

That’s just where my thoughts have gone in relation to your question. Take care and sending you best wishes and kindness 😊

[Doolhof]

Hi Eagle Ray, Guest and All reading,

As a child I spent a lot of time away from our home out walking and exploring, we grew up in a small town so wandering around alone as a young kid was not unusual. 

Being out in nature felt comforting to me, a walk along the beach or wandering across a paddock, climbing trees, all those things were calming.

It is interesting when you are out in public, some people walk past and just stare straight ahead or have their heads down or eyes glued to their phone. Interactions with some people can also be very joyous even if it is for a short period of time. 

I saw on Facebook a supermarket somewhere had set up a slow lane for chatting. People using that check out were encouraged to talk with the check out person. 

Quite often I walk in places where I don't see other people. I was on a dirt back road on my way to Mum's I had parked a few kilometres up the road and then walked. A farmer came from the other direction and stopped to make sure I was okay. He wondered where I had come from and how I was going to get back to my car. He sat in his ute and had a chat about the region we were in.

Another time my sister and I had walked many kilometres on back roads. A guy stopped, got out of his car a little distance from us and just stood there chatting making sure we were okay. He told us of other nice roads we might like to walk on.

I'm off for a walk shortly. It is still quite dark  outside with daylight savings still happening here . If I take the dirt road I could head off now and take a torch. No street lights here.

Wishing everyone a good day. 

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Dools and All

I love that idea of the slow lane in the supermarket for chatting. Of course the two major supermarket chains now have the self-checkouts, so it’s possible now to do the whole shopping experience without engaging with anyone. Sometimes that can be good when in a hurry, but I feel those everyday encounters with people can make a difference, just having a bit of people contact.

 I often walk in areas with no people too. I’ve explored some country roads in the region and you do come across interesting things. One time I came across an angry bull bellowing at another bull in a paddock on the other side of the road. He was trying to dig a hole under the fence and had made a fair bit of progress. However, he was behind a double fence, almost as if the owners knew he might be an escape artist. It was driving him nuts that he couldn’t get at the other bull, who seemed quite docile by comparison.

It’s nice those people were checking up on your safety Dools. Obviously not that many people choose to walk the country roads. I remember being on a gravel road once amongst farms and I suddenly felt like I’d gone back in time, as if I was now an itinerant worker in the Great Depression looking for a farm where I could get some work and a feed. That’s what my imagination does sometimes!

 I hope you’ve had a nice walk today Dools. I’m yet to do mine. Will be a late afternoon walk.

[Eagle Ray]

Hello again

Just a quick report on my afternoon walk. Went to my favourite ocean location. Walked from one bay to another and back then up to my favourite rocky hill.

 I made a pillow with my jumper and lay on the rock listening to the sound of the ocean. Looking to my left I could see a spider trying to build its web in the breeze. It had already created a nice-shaped web but was persistently working on the finishing touches despite being buffeted by the wind. I admired its effort and perseverance.

 I watched the rocks turn to a deep orange as the sun set. I stayed for sometime watching the colours in the sky change. Pink rays were emanating from the horizon a while after sunset, as they have a few times recently. There’s a beautiful energy there at that time of early evening.

[Guest_1055]

Hi

Yeah call me Shell or Shelley. All cool there 

I am sorry about the inconsiderate person Mrs D on that day. Then I am glad you came across some nice ones. I did laugh about your reference to a goat 🐐 though. My son told me a friend of his walked into a KFC with a cute pet goat of hers. The goat acted like a dog. Cute.

I also used to walk a fair bit alone when I was a child. And sometimes with the family dog. I would walk down through the bush on a cleared path at our path. There was sand on the property next to ours. I used to jump over the skinny gulley onto that side. Walk over some rough pebbled ground and down to the large pools of clean but sandy muddy water. The sand I imagined was quicksand at the time. My legs use to sink way down into it. The mind was mysterious in a way, so quite at the times I walked down low. But I remember hearing birds and other bush sounds.

Holidays were always at the beach. Alone I would wander up and around on the sand dunes, collecting long stands of the grasses that grew there. To make stuff with. 

I have walked on the breakwater path again and a couple of times around here. Saw a cute all black kitty last night. So I reached down and gave it a pat. 

Eagle Ray thankyou for answering my question. I will respond when I am able.

I

[GreenEgg]

Hi everyone

I loved the goat story too! And there’s something about befriending neighbourhood cats - when they purr and come up against your legs.

Do you have a favourite time of day? Eagle Ray it sounds like sunsets are beautiful. 

Where I live is very busy, but I like to go in the mornings for walks. Everything seems so still and peaceful, the water almost like glass before the boats start up. The dew on the grass, and the sounds of the birds slowly waking up. It really feels like a new day, everything is starting all over again.

I’m a bit sad that summer is ending though, I miss the morning sun. It was almost pitch black for most of my walk today, and when the sun finally rose it was a grey day. It was still nice though - such a reprieve from the heat over the past week. The feeling of the wind by the water and the cool morning air. It’s strange looking out at the city in the dark, feels almost like a different place.

G

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Shell, GreenEgg, Dools and All

I loved hearing about the pet goat too Shell, as well as your childhood walks. And GreenEgg, cities are so different very early in the morning aren’t they. It’s like the world is just waking up before things get busy. I love that time.

My walk today felt like an adventure. I parked at a lookout and walked down past big, ancient grass trees. I went along a sandy track that had horse hoof prints in it. The only sound was the wind in the trees and birds in the undergrowth. I headed down a narrower track through gnarly trees that arched over the path. I imagined goblins living there. I startled a large cat on the path who ran from me, I suspect a feral cat.

Then the most exciting thing - the track came along the edge of a deep valley/ravine. In it were huge, old growth forest trees with big hollows, no doubt homes for various animals. I felt like I was in a David Attenborough nature documentary. It was a whole other ecosystem with birds echoing in the forest canopy. I suspect it was never logged as it would have been too difficult. It felt magical. I could only stand on the edge looking into it.

 I continued on and found an ancient grass tree that had partially split open. A large amount of resin had poured out and stopped solid in mid air like a frozen waterfall. It’s trunk had orange and green lichen on it.

The path came to a row of powerlines. It was almost disappointing finding human structures after being in a wild place, but it was useful for finding my way back to my car. This section of path had many spiders in their webs, different sizes, shapes, colours and patterns. One big grey one fell out of its web as I approached and played dead - good survival strategy and was well camouflaged so it blended with sticks on the ground.

It was a really fascinating walk not far from home where I discovered some very interesting ecosystems. Did not see a single human, so it felt like I was in an ancient world like that of the dinosaurs.