Walk the Walk: When Not to Walk

by Diet Detective Editorial Staff
Sunday, 22 December 2002
Sometimes it’s better to leave your walking shoes in the back hallway for the day. It may seem very strange for people to hear from a walking coach that there are times when you shouldn't walk. "Can't I do it all the time? Can I overdo it?" Just like roller-coaster rides, and hot fudge sundaes, the things that give us pleasure can also not be appropriate for us in certain situations. (That is, "Yes, you can over do it.") If you've got a healthy, balanced life, it is probably not a problem. Here are some examples of some situations where it might be better to leave your walking shoes in the back hallway for the day. 1. Injury: Although walking is a very low-impact sport with not a lot of injury normally involved, it is possible to get injured walking. Putting one foot in front of the other is a repetitive motion, and doing something over and over will aggravate anything that is slightly off. If you tend to lean over to one side or hit your heel to the ground with excessive force on each step, you could be leading yourself to injury. You would not think that water splashing on you could be damaging, but you can see how it can wear down stone walls after years of pelting. Our bodies are less sturdy than stone, so it doesn't take as long for us to feel the effects. If you are feeling pain in your feet, ankles, knees, hips, etc., rest it for a day or so. If it is still hurting after some time off, then get some professional advice to see if it is something serious. Many times though, time will heal all wounds. 2. Exhaustion: One of the great fallacies of our culture is that if some is good, more is better. I know many people who will walk and push themselves every day, without ever taking a day off. Your body gets stronger in the recovery from an effort, that is, when you're not working out. If you never take a rest, you never give your body a chance to recover. I usually suggest two days off a week. 3. Boredom: We all get in our routines. It helps us to keep going. But sometimes you have to try something different. If you're not excited about your walk, go hiking, bicycling, kayaking, etc. Try something different. Your walking shoes will be there waiting for you. It's important to know when not to walk, but remember that that's just a break. Make sure to get out there afterward. Ken Mattsson, M.S., has written and lectured in the personal development field since 1990. In addition to his work as a walking coach and instructor for organizations such as the Cambridge Sports Union, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, he also helps people reach their professional goals as a career development consultant with Resonare Consulting (http://www.resonare.com) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bookmark: Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Title Comment
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