Walking Back to Wellness
Ruth Starsmeare
Life and Mobility Coach #mobilitymatters | Runner and Bookworm #thebusinessbookcase
When visiting my Dad recently, to go through our wheelchair exercises, he talked about a recent visit he'd had from a physiotherapist.
He'd shared with her the exercises we were doing and how he was keeping track of them. She was suitably impressed.
However, she wanted him to make a particular point of getting out of his wheelchair and using his walking frame. Dad has severe osteoarthritis in his right knee and his right hip is actually dead. No amount of exercise is going to save his hip. But her reasoning was that standing up and taking a few steps will have other benefits for him. He would strengthen his feet, and the muscles in his legs, which could in turn help support his knee and allow him to straighten it - something he's not been able to do for over a year. That will help him sleep. And, not just his legs, but his arms will strengthen too, as he, initially has to rely on them to move, and his heart, and, and, and...
You can see where I'm going with this, right?
It got me thinking about the general benefits of walking. A while back I read a book, 'In Praise of Walking', by Shane O'Mara - a doctor.
There are so many benefits - that I am now recommending to anyone out there with two, more or less working legs, or prosthetics, to get outside and go walking.
Check this out for a list of things that regular walking helps with:
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Even if you just add walking into your daily life - walk to the shops instead of driving, walk up and down stairs instead of taking a lift. We all know this stuff, right? But do we do it?
I find myself being pushed by artificial time boundaries into believing I don't have time when, in reality, I do. If I want to.
For most of us, it's an easily accessible, low impact form of exercise that is free. OK, some of us are blessed with great scenery on our doorsteps, but even for those that aren't, it's usually possible to find some routes away from a main road that would allow you to take in some of your local colour whilst getting all the benefits listed above - and that's just the top 10 - there are plenty more where they came from - even going red in the face does you good - all that oxygenated blood getting to your skin not to mention sweat cleaning out your pores - what's not to love?
Walking regularly improves your life and lengthens your life.
Mobility Matters.
Business IT Consultant
6 个月My friend Bob is my inspiration. He never stopped - and was fitter in his nineties than most people twenty or thirty years younger. He'd have made the century, I reckon, if covid hadn't got him. He simply refused to believe he was old, walking the dog and going to the gym most days. We all need to be like Bob!
Workplace Mental Health Training & 1:1 'Messy Reality' Toolkits for Leaders, Managers & People Pleasers | Boundaries, Roles & Responsibilities Expert | MHFA Instructor | Speaker
6 个月Useful tips for all Ruth Starsmeare! It’s vital we all find ways to build in mobility, I see how my m-in-law’s world has shrunk to her room. It’s a blessing when she has to walk via a lift downstairs to have her hair done, shame she’s always avoided walking and is now paying the price. In contrast, I’m heartened to see how many ‘long lived’ locals walk up the numerous hills, using a stick for stability and making it part of their daily routine ??