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]

Glad you had a beautiful walk on the breakwall Shell.

Late this afternoon I did a short walk in the bushland across from where I live. It was very windy. I had to be careful because a lot of slippery mosses and lichens have come up and it’s very easy to go for a slide.

 I walked downhill and in the low swampy area many frogs were calling. Golden light to the west was filtering through the clouds. Black cockatoos were calling. I got home just before the next rain came through.

[Doolhof]

Hi Shell, Eagle Ray and All reading,

Watching the dolphins would have been wonderful Eagle Ray. Hope you enjoyed your walks Shell along the breakwall, it sounds like a lovely place from your descriptions.

My walks have been a little hit and miss lately. I went to the Dr and he believes I have long Covid and my Chronic Fatigue has returned. That explains why I have been dragging my feet while out walking. 

I'll keep to my walks daily and adjust the time I am out when necessary to suit my energy levels. I sometimes find somewhere to sit for a while and then return home again.

Yesterday I had a 15 minute walk in a park between appointments. It was lovely to see a dry meandering creek bed filled with reeds, there was a cute little wooden bridge over the creek and huge gum trees dotted throughout the park.

All the lawns were so green and lush, it looked so vibrant as the sun was shining, highlighting the colours in the tree trunks and the leaves of the gum trees. In the distance I could see a couple sitting on a bench in the sun. There was a massive dead gum tree which looked striking in its own way.

I'm off once the sun gets up for a walk along some of our local streets.

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

The weather is rather stormy this morning so I am going to the hydrotherapy pool for some exercise there and will see what the weather is like this afternoon.

Recently I saw a clip on Facebook where a guy presumably in Germany was talking about it not being a case of bad weather but a bad choice in clothing! That may well be the case. A pair of waterproof long pants would be beneficial when it is rainy and blowing a gale.

Yesterday I walked some of the back streets of our town. In one small paddock I saw some brown and white cows, they were still some distance away as were a few sheep wandering around under young gum trees near a dried up creek. 

A small flock of bright green parrots zipped past me chirping as they were flying. A magpie sat on a sign post and just watched me as I walked past. A small flock of galahs flew into a gum tree, I went to take a photo of them, they decided to all fly away again before I had a chance to capture them.

I stood for a while near the pond and saw a couple of ducks swim across the surface creating a pretty wake and ripples behind them. 

It was lovely to get out and see what was happening in my section of the world.

[Eagle Ray]

Hello dear Dools, Shell and All,

I’m sorry to hear of the long Covid Dools. It’s good that by going out for walks you are still able to be in nature and stop and rest and see things. I hope it improves over time.

Your mention of cows made me think today of cows I saw in paddocks near the road. I hadn’t noticed these paddocks having cows before so I think they’ve been moved from other paddocks. In one paddock they were black and white cows, in the other brown. I tried looking up breeds of cows and I think the first might be Holstein-Friesian and the second ones Jersey cows.

Yesterday I managed a short walk across the road and through some woodland to a seat by a lake. The late afternoon sunlight was filtering through the trees and providing a bit of warmth just as the evening cool was starting to come in. Two ducks swam out on the lake as I approached. At first I thought I could hear people talking across the lake. Then I thought it was the call of water birds I wasn’t familiar with. Then finally I realised what I was hearing was dirt bikes in the distance.

The light on the foliage of trees around me was so beautiful at that time of day. Like you Dools I saw a flock of galahs as I was walking back. They were feeding on the grass across from where I live. I was glad I went out for this short walk and breathed in the fresh air, even if a bit cold towards the end. It was quite still which was a change from recent windyness. In fact it was so still it was very quiet and it made the crunch of my footsteps seem noisy. A lot of twigs had fallen from the recent winds.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi All,

After a difficult morning with a lot of brain fog, I managed to go out early afternoon to a nearby ocean spot. I know this spot often has birds flying past so I took my camera with telephoto lens to practise capturing birds in flight. I find being out in nature for as long as possible is the best thing for my brain. I'm having difficulty with motor coordination as well, so having to pan with my telephoto lens is forcing my brain and body to coordinate on a task, which feels it helps the motor part of my brain which is struggling. I got some photos of gulls, terns and cormorants. But the most exciting one was of a juvenile Australasian gannet. While I have seen them before I've never gotten a photo of one. None of my images were great, but I was just glad I went out into the fresh air and with nature around me.

While I was there rain showers kept coming through, then the sun would come out with beautiful winter light. Rainbows would appear out on the water as curtains of rain receded out onto the ocean. I had chosen that spot in particular as there is a thicket of trees that are great shelter from the rain, so with each rain shower I could go in there and stay dry. Two little robins came and visited me while I was sheltering there.

A cloud was building that looked like a cumulonimbus which could possibly mean a thunderstorm developing. I came home at that point, though no storm has happened, just more rain. I am going to try and go out with my camera every day as if I can it really helps me.

[Doolhof]

Hi Eagle Ray and to all reading,

I've enjoyed reading about your walks Eagle Ray. Taking photos of the birds must be wonderful. I take lots of photos on my phone, the zoom is not that good. I took a shot of a robin in a tree to show my sister and had to tell her to use a magnifying glass to find the bird!

I'm staying in a caravan park for a couple of nights near some inland water. I had a glorious walk at sunrise, it was very cold so I kept on walking then realised I had to get back again after sitting for a rest for a while.

There were many birds to see, wish I knew the names of them. There were a few varieties of ducks, an elegant grey heron, birds that seem to flap their wings and run across the water instead of actually flying, seagulls, galahs, pigeons, swallows and a couple of magpies. 

Later on I went for a drive to a conservation park advertising designated walks and picnic areas near the creeks. That may be the case if you have a 4 wheeled drive. I was almost bogged in sand on one part of the track then skidded out in clay in another area. There was no where to turn around as it was a very narrow single lane track.

I did find allocated camping places, stopped at the first one, took some photos, bush bashed as far as I could along the water way and then returned to my car and drove out. I encountered a couple of 4 wheel drives, thankfully we were at a place where the side of the road was a little easier to drive into and we could pass each other. I had no idea if I was going to be bogged in the bank of not while doing so.

At least there is a safe and long walk from the caravan park I can enjoy anytime!

[Eagle Ray]

Hello Dools and All,

It’s great to hear about your glorious morning walk and all the birds you saw. It sounds like you just managed to get out of being potentially bogged. That’s happened to me a couple of times in my little 2wd car on gravel roads. I’ve pulled off a bit to the side to take photos only to find the ground was a bit softer there than I thought. Fortunately both times I managed to reverse out of it and not get stuck. I hope you continue to have a nice time at the caravan park and exploring.

Today I spent some time by the river. I photographed ducks, galahs, cormorants, gulls, oystercatchers, an egret and a grey heron (maybe like what you saw Dools). There was some light rain but I had a good tree to shelter under. I chatted with some fishermen and a woman walking her dog. The light was really silvery on the water, almost like a black and white photo. I stayed until I got a bit cold. At this time of year the light is good for photography all day with the sun at its lowest angle, so it’s softer and gentler, even in the middle of the day.

[Doolhof]

Hi Eagle Ray and All,

I'm leaving the caravan park today. I have lots of lovely memories and photos as well. I'm off for another walk this morning once the sun gets up. Didn't sleep all that well so am already showered, had breakfast and packed. Ha. Ha. 

I'm looking forward to the dawn. Had a walk at sunset last night, it was basically different shades of grey with one lighter patch of cloud that looked stunning behind dead tree branches.

There were lots of birds out, looking for their favourite place to roos for the night, mainly seemed to be in dead trees in the water. At least the wild cats and foxes can't get them there.

Each day I need to leave our home I am going to look for roads that are quiet where I can park and go for a walk. It has been wonderful to be in a place where I can walk and not hear any human noises at all. I don't have that where we live.

Yes, I am usually aware of the places I park my car! The side of the road can be a tricky place at times! There are so many time I have thought a view would make an excellent photo but there is no where safe to stop. 

I'm looking forward to my walk this morning.

Wishing everyone a good day.

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Dools and All,

I hope you had a lovely sunrise walk yesterday before leaving the caravan park.

 I went for a short late afternoon walk. The air was crisp and cold and I was thankful for the hood on my jacket. But the sun did come out for a bit making it slightly warmer.

 I walked through a park on my street I’d never been in before. I found there was a path winding through some nice eucalypts. There was a picnic bench in the open plus a shelter. Magpies were pecking about in the grass.

 I came out onto another road and noticed houses I hadn’t paid attention to before. There were some old fibro places with rickety fences that made me feel like I’d gone back in time. They would be many decades old. Further along was a house that reminded me of ones I’ve seen in American movies in the countryside. It has great character and could definitely be used as a film setting.

I came up a hill where I could see the ocean and wilderness spreading out in the distance. It reminded me that I’m close to some wild areas around here. I love the wildness and feel very connected to it.

 I returned home glad that I had gotten moving and the circulation going.

[Guest_1055]

Hi Mrs D and Eagle Ray,

I have read about a few of your recent walks, about staying in a caravan. Seeing and taking photos of birds.

I am having issues comprehending and issues concentrating.

I have been walking here and out on the breakwall. Small black darting birds were zooming all around on the breakwall walk Felt like they were going to fly into me at times. Such quick little things, don't know what they were