Mixing it up a bit

As I have written previously, I bought myself a pedometer out of curiousity of how many steps I take on an average day. An average day that doesn't include a conscious effort to add in more exercise. Now I was truly surprised and very chuffed to see that I do walk far more than the 10000 minimum steps recommended for health. For me 10000 steps equates to about 7km and 600 kcals, of course it all depends on weight and stride length. I am, as often pointed out to me, a short 'ass, but my stride length depends on the speed I am walking as to how much ground I cover.

I am bored with steps now, so have decided to mix it up a bit. As I know that even on a relaxed day I walk more than the 10000 recommended steps, I have decided not to bother with these anymore. For the last week I have counted kilometres only and have set myself a target of 150km in a week. At present ( according to average daily steps since I bought the pedometer) I walk an average of 12km daily, from the minute I get up until I go to bed. I say average as some days it is more - some less. This adds up to roughly 84km per week, so to raise it to 150km will be a serious challenge for me. I am not setting a time scale, just going to try and up the distance covered each week.

So, as I say, this last week I have counted kilometres and have managed to do 90km. That'll do for me. I am not back in work until Monday night and am having a couple of days away from tomorrow, so I'm hoping for greater things this week. 👣

P.S. Ruth_canal_runner, I have just done those squats AAAGH!!!!! 😱😬😫

[Hidden]

Hey Shellie - laughing so much re the squats. With all that walking they should be easy surely! I guess naturally active people (I'm like you too but with cycling rather than walking) get tight in the wrong places, so these sorts of strength exercises are maybe harder than they should be. I'm pretty impressed by the 150km/week walking goal. That is almost doubling what you do now. Good luck getting there. I do think with slow sustainable changes anything is possible. Also mixing it up keeps it interesting. Enjoy your couple of days away, hope you're super refreshed by the time you're back to work on Mon

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Oh Ruth, you should have heard the creaking of bones!! It does surprise me how stiff I am when it comes to things like squats, especially as I do the rowing machine at the gym without any bones protesting at all, and though I know about it when I walk from sheer tiredness and achiness if it was a good hike out, no bone crunching with this either. Hopefully by the 30th of this month I will be squatting like a well oiled machine ( that is what I am telling Nelly - Daves Bert equivalent- anyway, as she is screaming at me never ever to do squats again). 😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Have you thought about just introducing some stretches then? This might be easier on your bones, and help 'oil' your joints to make the squats easier as well as the longer walks? I stretch so much since starting running, it's absolutely essential.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I will give it a go Ruth 😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I just saw on your previous post that you really have broken your toe! How are you going to walk any kms let alone 150kms with a broken toe? Take care x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Fortunately it is the toe next to my big toe and I have cracked it just above the bend, it looks a bit like a cocktail sausage in size but quite surprisingly it doesn't hurt when I walk. If I try to stand on tiptoe it does a bit, but otherwise no. My walking shoes and trainers are quite roomy at the toe end too. Won't be wearing heels for a while, but that's no biggie as I rarely do anyway. I only went to the hospital to shut the kids up, knew that nothing could be done. Xray and "do you have any painkillers at home" enquired the Doc. 😷

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

As always you sound eminently sensible and in control! Can't imagine breaking a toe and carrying on as normal. But then I also don't tend to move heavy furniture without shoes on. Not so sensible maybe then...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

In my defence I did originally have slippers on, but I couldn't get a grip on the wood floor ( i must say John Lewis' furniture is seriously well made and very heavy), so I kicked the slippers off and managed to get a pretty decent grip. It was after I had managed to haul it from it's original position and lifted one end a little to turn its angle that I stumbled on one of the slippers I had kicked off and dropped the ruddy cabinet on my foot. Hey it could have been worse, at least the other couple of toes it caught are just a bit bruised, and the cabinet was that heavy I only cleared a couple of inches from the floor - imagine the damage if I had managed to lift it higher.

If I had watched somebody else do it, I wouldn't have been able to help for laughing, and the more I think about it the more I find it funny myself. I am one really weird woman!!! 😆

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to Hidden]

"dropped the ruddy cabinet on my foot. "

I shuddered when I read that - you poor thing! Reminds me of when I slammed my fingers in the car door a few years ago - that kind of thing on your toes and fingers can hurt like a motherlover!

[Hidden in reply to Dave1961]

It did at the time Dave and I swore like a navvy!! It numbed up pretty quick though so I just got on with it. The room looked like a bomb had gone off in it so I couldn't just leave it. It's all ended ok, the room looks really nice, clean and tidy. For how long is anyones guess, but hey ho.

Was on the road at 5am this morning for a 3 hour drive, and will admit my toe is aching now. 😏

[Portlandprincess]

Hey Shellie, you really like a challenge! Hope your toe's not holding you back.😉

[Hidden in reply to Portlandprincess]

It's not bad really hun, for a break it's in the right place for it not to be a hindrance. Looks like a little fat sausage, but doesn't really hurt at all. If I stand on tiptoe, yes, and no heels for a while, no biggie as I rarely wear them anyway. I'm driving tomorrow morning for a few hours, so hopefully it'll be ok. Once on the motorway I'll put the car into cruise control and as I'm setting off at 5am, there shouldn't be much traffic.

Have a good week 😊

[Portlandprincess in reply to Hidden]

Take care!

[Dave1961 25kg]

Good on you - its great to have a challenge and work towards it.

And if km's instead of steps works for you, go for it!

And thanks for mentioning the squats - its morning here and I forgot before I left home so have just done a quick 20 beside the desk lol