Talk about your exercise experience today

[Kätzchen]

I just got my car back, but during the past two weeks I walked a whole bunch of steps. My lower back did not like it much at all, but I did walk quite a bit and I may have even lost a few pounds.

July 5th - 11th: 58,332 steps (best days: Mon-Thurs; 3 days over 13K steps)
June 28th - July 4th: 55,556 steps (best days: Mon-Fri; 2 dys over 12K steps)

There were a couple days I did not wear my FitBit. Today I only logged about 8K steps, but I will try to walk a bit more before bedtime and try to get 9K steps or 10K steps for today.

I have a suggestion for shoes, nycfem: A couple years ago, back when I was still with the Physical Therapy team? One of the therapists made a recommendation to me and I went to a nearby specialty shoe store. I bought a few shoes made by a New Zealand shoe company: Ziera.

I really like the several pairs of Ziera shoes I bought: I bought two pairs of Gummibear shoes (in Red Rouge and Navy Blue) and a pair of dressy Mary Jane dress shoes, which are super cute, all of them. They are SO comfy. I spent a lot of money on those three pairs of Ziera shoes, but they are absolutely worth the money you invest to make sure your feet love you for a pair of wonderful shoes.

Here is a page I found online which shows examples of Ziera shoes. They have many styles, to choose from. Check out the Ziera link I first listed, so you can read about how this shoe company started. Their shoes are orthotic friendly, and engineered and designed by doctors who specialize in foot care (podiatry).

Thanks for sharing about being able to get outdoors for a bit. I know it must have felt so good.

Oh, you mentioned wearing a high quality mask and glasses. I bought a pair of shaded safety glasses, which wrap around my regular optical glasses. I bought mine at an Optical store, a couple years ago. Those are a bit spendy too, but the wrap-around effect to block light and other things from touching your eyes is worth the investment (I think).

[nycfem]

Today I walked 10K to the shoe store and back and through the park. It was the first time I was in a store since the pandemic. I bought Saucony brand shoes (Hurricane 22). I bought 2 pairs of the store's brand of socks because I always wear double socks. I wore my new shoes and socks home. When I got home my decades old foot injury (left foot sesamoid fracture) was really bothering me, perhaps more so than ever. Ugh, I can't tell you how upsetting this is to me. I think this means I MUST take a break from my walks because... what if I fracture it again? I'm so frustrated because I was really loving my 10K per day walks. It's not like I can switch over to swimming or something different because of the pandemic. My walks were getting me outside and so mentally and physically healing after four months of being inside. Maybe I should truly rest my feet for a week. And then on August 9th BB and I go to the beach again for a week, so does that mean I shouldn't do my 10K on the sand by the water- which I love? I hate dealing with injury, but I know I need to watch it because I've never had this original injury act up the way it has been in 20 years. It sucks not having the gym where I could have been mixing my exercise up so as not to be putting such repetitive pressure on my feet. Feel free to offer suggestions. I will definitely try to only wear Thorlos socks which are great for feet. Wearing the store brand socks could not have helped. Maybe I could give it a few days rest and then just walk to the park with my weights and do yoga and ground exercises. I really have to get creative. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Today I walked 10K to the shoe store and back and through the park. It was the first time I was in a store since the pandemic. I bought Saucony brand shoes (Hurricane 22). I bought 2 pairs of the store's brand of socks because I always wear double socks. I wore my new shoes and socks home. When I got home my decades old foot injury (left foot sesamoid fracture) was really bothering me, perhaps more so than ever. Ugh, I can't tell you how upsetting this is to me. I think this means I MUST take a break from my walks because... what if I fracture it again? I'm so frustrated because I was really loving my 10K per day walks. It's not like I can switch over to swimming or something different because of the pandemic. My walks were getting me outside and so mentally and physically healing after four months of being inside. Maybe I should truly rest my feet for a week. And then on August 9th BB and I go to the beach again for a week, so does that mean I shouldn't do my 10K on the sand by the water- which I love? I hate dealing with injury, but I know I need to watch it because I've never had this original injury act up the way it has been in 20 years. It sucks not having the gym where I could have been mixing my exercise up so as not to be putting such repetitive pressure on my feet. Feel free to offer suggestions. I will definitely try to only wear Thorlos socks which are great for feet. Wearing the store brand socks could not have helped. Maybe I could give it a few days rest and then just walk to the park with my weights and do yoga and ground exercises. I really have to get creative. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

That is so frustrating. Have you thought about seeing if your primary doctor can refer you to a orthopedic physician, so they could get xray pics of your foot? And to see what can be done about it? I think it is wise to back off on your walking until you find out what exactly is causing your foot pain. Limit stressors occuring with your foot until doctors can treat your specific foot issue?

Im so sorry to hear this is causing you troubles. I hope you find out soon the exact problem with your foot that is experiencing pain.

You're in my thoughts for wellness and speedy recovery.

[Kelt]

Originally Posted by nycfem

I've been continuing my goal of 10K per day of walking (using my iphone to count). My last post was on 7/2/20. So here's my catching up information:

7/3, 7/4: 10K
7/5: 11K
7/6: 12K
7/7, 7/8, 7/9, 7/10: 10K
7/11: 12K
7/12: 13K

I was at the beach on Fire Island for a week, so I walked on the sand barefoot during that time, and also barefoot on the wooden paths. I think I set off an old injury in my left foot (a fracture of the sesamoid bone). It's been acting up lately. It could be just from all the walking but was probably from walking so much barefoot on the wooden paths. It felt good at the time but probably was too much. The sesamoid bone is what pushes down against the ground if you are wearing a high heeled shoe. When I originally injured this bone 20 years ago, I used to wear high heels a lot and lived in a 4th floor walk-up apt and the pressure likely built up. My foot doctor told me at that time that some women refused to stop wearing high heels every day and so he would give them expensive injections regularly to plump up that part of the foot. Crazy. Anyway, I think I may at least go to a shoe store and get some new shoes. I haven't been in any store in NYC since before the pandemic. I will wear a high quality mask and glasses.

I have been walking at a slow pace, generally walking 5 miles in 2.5 hours (2mph). I walk in the park on shaded paths and then on the way home I walk by the river which gives a little bit of a breeze. I take a lot of photos.

I wonder if my bone was affected by walking on the sand. I walked on the packed sand by the water (and again - this was walking for several hours). Maybe I should wear shoes if I'm doing my walk on the beach?

Editing for clarity: I myself rarely wear high heels since that injury 20 years ago.

Originally Posted by nycfem

Today I walked 10K to the shoe store and back and through the park. It was the first time I was in a store since the pandemic. I bought Saucony brand shoes (Hurricane 22). I bought 2 pairs of the store's brand of socks because I always wear double socks. I wore my new shoes and socks home. When I got home my decades old foot injury (left foot sesamoid fracture) was really bothering me, perhaps more so than ever. Ugh, I can't tell you how upsetting this is to me. I think this means I MUST take a break from my walks because... what if I fracture it again? I'm so frustrated because I was really loving my 10K per day walks. It's not like I can switch over to swimming or something different because of the pandemic. My walks were getting me outside and so mentally and physically healing after four months of being inside. Maybe I should truly rest my feet for a week. And then on August 9th BB and I go to the beach again for a week, so does that mean I shouldn't do my 10K on the sand by the water- which I love? I hate dealing with injury, but I know I need to watch it because I've never had this original injury act up the way it has been in 20 years. It sucks not having the gym where I could have been mixing my exercise up so as not to be putting such repetitive pressure on my feet. Feel free to offer suggestions. I will definitely try to only wear Thorlos socks which are great for feet. Wearing the store brand socks could not have helped. Maybe I could give it a few days rest and then just walk to the park with my weights and do yoga and ground exercises. I really have to get creative. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

My guess, barefoot with hard surfaces. Think about how many little muscles and bones are in our feet and what we ask them to do. I do a lot of barefoot walking but after any real time off of barefooting (a couple of months) I always work my way back into it increasing slowly over time so that all the mechanics get adjusted to not being braced by footwear. If you are barefoot around the house alot this might not apply, but if you are used to cushioned surfaces with structural support (shoes)and going straight to multiple days of 10k+ I would bet on it. Buying new shoes might not work right away because they are unfamiliar too. I would try regular or light routine with normal footwear for a few days and then start taking shoes of for shorter periods at the end of the day when your feet are already tired to judge it.

Just my totally uneducated but used to hurting myself guess! I hope it feels better soon, in the mean time I would take shoes to the beach to have for part time and barefoot part time when it feels okay. Depending on how coarse or fine the sand is it can be a really hard surface when wet..

[Kelt]

I have been getting back out pretty regularly myself. I finally decided that it was worth the risk to get some PT for my knee, it was hampering my life too much. The PT I saw briefly a few months ago was standard issue pointless as provided by insurance, the kind where you see them for 5 minutes before being turned over to an intern watching 5 people. Went twice and saw that going nowhere.

A couple of weeks ago I signed on with a very good holistic PT and started twice a week 1 hour one on one work. Private room, all sanitized for each person, masks etc. I am making great progress and wish I had started this sooner, better now than not though. The pain is gone but for an occasional reminder when I am on very uneven ground, we are working on soft tissue manipulation in session and then I have work to do on the other days around posture and gait, no actual specific knee exercises but more on focusing on stabilizing muscle throughout my body. I don't have arthritis (what the Dr said) but have hyperextended it badly and had habits that kept exacerbating things. I am walking at the beach on sand 3 miles at a time barefoot 4 days a week virtually pain free. Hallelujah!

[clementinefemme]

I ran 5K this morning and I'm going to go for a walk this evening!

[nycfem]

Shortly after my post my foot stopped hurting . Then today it did not bother me at all. So I think my extensive barefoot beach walking, particularly on the wooden paths combined with wearing new shoes and new socks is what did me in. I went back to my old shoes (old model asics shoes) and old socks (double Thorlos socks) and walked 5K today with no problems . Whew, what a relief! I think my new shoe and new sock purchase were poor choices, BUT at least I bought OOFOS sandals. Oh my goodness, those are a revelation. They were started by athlete who saw a need for recovery footwear to wear between work-outs. Gosh, they are like magic. I went to the grocery store today in NYC- first time in 4 months, and I paid a homeless man to carry half my bags home. We had the nicest conversation while walking. I've been wearing an N95 mask. I think I forgot to wear my glasses today. So many things to remember during the pandemic

[Kelt]

I never heard about OOFOS sandals or recovery specific footwear. This looks interesting! Will have to do some research on these, thanks.

[nycfem]

clementinefemme, you mentioned yoga channel recs! Would love if you could post for all of us to see. Totally interested!

[Bèsame*]

Walking barefoot on the beach is relaxing and romantic, but did you know it’s also good for you?

Here are some of the benefits of walking on the beach barefoot:
***You’ll get stronger
Sand provides resistance that strengthens your arches, ankles and leg muscles. Your foot will be going through its full range of motion, and every time your foot sinks into the sand, your muscles have to work extra hard to push you back up and move you forward.

***And you’ll burn more calories
In addition to the muscular benefits, the resistance that comes from walking on sand will burn more calories. So, go ahead and order that seafood dinner!

***It’s a free foot massage!
Walking barefoot on sand and taking breaks while standing in the water will massage the soles of your feet. The motion activates venous and lymphatic circulation, making your feet feel nice and relaxed.

***The sand will exfoliate your feet
No need for a fancy foot scrub. Walking on sand will exfoliate dead skin cells and make your feet feel softer.

***You’ll reduce your stress
There’s nothing more relaxing than strolling near the water and listening to the sounds of the ocean. Leave the shoes at home to symbolize leaving your cares behind.

[Kelt]

3 miles of sandy toes this morning.

[nycfem]

Wed. July 15: 10K steps
Th. July 16: 7.5K steps
Fri. July 17th 11K steps

Since I like the oofos sandals so much, I decided to buy oofos slip on gym shoes. I wore them today and could not believe how comfortable they were. I ordered them a size too big so I wore them with three pairs of Thorlos socks. Wow, 11K and my feet did great! What a find! I was very surprised that a simple pair of slip on shoes would work so well.

[Kätzchen]

11K steps today too.

Your new shoes sound real comfy, nycfem.
Later on this fall, I'm going shoe shopping again.

[Kelt]

Yesterday morning 3 miles of Sandy toes. The beach I’ve been using for this last month is friendly to dogs on leash and for me that adds an element of fun, especially when there are young pups out getting their first taste of beach. Yesterday I saw something new, someone had a pig on a leash walking the surfline. The pig was having an absolutely marvelous time!

[nycfem]

So those oofos shoes that I did my 10K in yesterday did not agitate my old injury which is always my primary concern but they are clearly not good for long walks. When I woke up, my ankles were in bad shape! They went back to normal when I started walking around but as one might expect, slip on shoes are not good for a 10K walk. I really need to wear good stability shoes that also have good shock absorption. I still stand by my oofos as a good between work-out shoe to wear around the house but not for a several hour walk.

Today I wore my old tried and trusted asics (gel kay-ayono 21). Since it was not dark I was able to walk in the park instead of on the streets which helps since the ground in the park is a kinder surface for feet. I was listening to a podcast on ticks while I walked called Tick Bootcamp. Then when I got home, I washed my hair and a bug fell out. Lovely! I don't think it was a tick but it was close enough that it freaked me out! Perhaps I should always wear a cap when I walk, even when it's not sunny, since I am walking under so many trees. I killed it between my fingers because when I started to shampoo my hair it fell from my hair onto my chest and was crawling there. I did NOT want to lose sight of it! Then I wrapped it in toilet paper and yelled for BB to come in to flush it down the toilet, lest it come back to life .

Anyway, I walked 10K today. It's really so nice to walk at sunset by the river. The park right by me is so vast and puts me by water and within so much green. It's a treat all around except for... that bug!

[nycfem]

That's funny that you say that because I also found that one of my favorite things about walking on the beach in Fire Island was seeing how happy the dogs were! My goodness- they just love the beach and ocean, and it's joyful to witness! The pig story is amazing! I want to have a pig and walk the pig along the ocean. That sounds like a life goal!

Originally Posted by Kelt

Yesterday morning 3 miles of Sandy toes. The beach I’ve been using for this last month is friendly to dogs on leash and for me that adds an element of fun, especially when there are young pups out getting their first taste of beach. Yesterday I saw something new, someone had a pig on a leash walking the surfline. The pig was having an absolutely marvelous time!

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Today I walked 10K to the shoe store and back and through the park. It was the first time I was in a store since the pandemic. I bought Saucony brand shoes (Hurricane 22). I bought 2 pairs of the store's brand of socks because I always wear double socks. I wore my new shoes and socks home. When I got home my decades old foot injury (left foot sesamoid fracture) was really bothering me, perhaps more so than ever. Ugh, I can't tell you how upsetting this is to me. I think this means I MUST take a break from my walks because... what if I fracture it again? I'm so frustrated because I was really loving my 10K per day walks. It's not like I can switch over to swimming or something different because of the pandemic. My walks were getting me outside and so mentally and physically healing after four months of being inside. Maybe I should truly rest my feet for a week. And then on August 9th BB and I go to the beach again for a week, so does that mean I shouldn't do my 10K on the sand by the water- which I love? I hate dealing with injury, but I know I need to watch it because I've never had this original injury act up the way it has been in 20 years. It sucks not having the gym where I could have been mixing my exercise up so as not to be putting such repetitive pressure on my feet. Feel free to offer suggestions. I will definitely try to only wear Thorlos socks which are great for feet. Wearing the store brand socks could not have helped. Maybe I could give it a few days rest and then just walk to the park with my weights and do yoga and ground exercises. I really have to get creative. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

I'm glad your foot is feeling better now! Don't forget that you went from not much physical activity on your feet to a ton in a short amount of time. The barefoot walking just compounded that, I bet. I'm glad that you've gotten into a rhythm and your old injury seems to have calmed down.

My coworker had surgery in March because an injury at work (she rolled her foot on an uneven surface) aggravated a birth defect in one of her feet. She was born with one of the bones that are usually attached to something just floating around. Until the injury aggravated it, it never bothered her. They tried a boot for weeks but it got worse and then the pandemic started to darken the horizon so she decided this was the best time to be out of work for a couple of months and she was right. The hospital she had the surgery at stopped all elective surgeries 2 days after hers.

The point of the story is that a small aggravation can cause a big tadoo down the road and I'm glad that you're feeling better and you found your sweet spot again. I wouldn't count out the new shoes, though. As much as you are walking, you'll wear your Asics down even if you switch out the insoles for new gel ones. They say runners get 400-600 miles on their shoes. I tend to double that number if I'm just walking since the stress on them is far less than running so that would be 800-1200 miles of walking before looking at replacing the shoes or at the very least, changing out the insoles.

Plus, I'm a fan of Saucony because of my duck feet. I have wide toes and a narrow heel and Saucony and New Balance are really the only shoes that I can wear for exercise long term.

As a side note, did you elevate and ice your foot when it was hurting? That would have helped too.

[Kelt]

Since I pretty much never buy shoes and I’m super picky about what I put on my feet from a comfort point of view, I’ll throw my recommendation in the ring too.

I was looking for something I could use on the trails and on the beach when the sand is too cold that would mimic as closely as possible barefoot walking. I went to one of these runner stores that has the scanning device you stand on and measures your foot 16 ways from Sunday and told them what I was looking for. What they came up with and what I bought was a pair of Altra brand shoes in the “Escalante“ model. It is a zero lift shoe with no elevation under the heel, a wide toebox for unrestricted toes, and practically no padding for surface feel. For me they are magic and I love them, they suit my needs perfectly and while less than stunning in the looks department I don’t think they stand out in anyway. You would have to look down on them from the top to see how wide the toebox is, maybe something for Gemme.

My .02

I did not have an exercise experience today because it is Sunday and the beaches will be crowded with idiots. There will be a good low tide early tomorrow morning though and I will go be with the local regulars distancing and being safe.

[Kelt]

Hey nycfem, are you doing 10Km or 10Ksteps?

[nycfem]

Today I walked 7.5K steps (so yes to steps, Kelt, not miles). I have been walking slow, just two miles per hour, very relaxing. I tried out New Balance shoes -agreed, Gemme- like them very much! Thanks for the ideas and hints, friends. And, yes, I agree, Gemme, I am definitely adjusting to exercising after having been 4 months sedentary. Today is Day 19 walking! I also added in a neck fan (charges on the computer). Geeky but pleasant on super hot days! Since I can't do the gym I'm working with what I got... which is- being outside!