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Walking

Posted in Diabetes, other sides to this life, tagged , , , , on April 6, 2016| 28 Comments »

Tomorrow (April 7) is World Health Day –and one of the major themes this year is

TACKLING DIABETES!

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Exercise is a key element in the battle.

Walking as part of an exercise campaign has been important to me–doubly so since my three precious stents were fitted four years ago.

I asked my cardiologist, Monsieur Lefevre (the least feverish man you could meet), why the blockage I had in my main artery showed no symptoms–no shortage of breath when out on my walks. “It dulls the nervous system,” he said, thus turning off the alarm mechanism.

“Keep on walking!” he advised, after the procedure.

And I do–every day, for about 25 minutes.

I’ve written three or four blogs about walking, but this is my favorite:

On WALKING:

The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.
– Thomas Jefferson

 

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All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
– Friedrich Nietzsche

I was walking six times a week, usually for about 40 minutes. I tried to do a circular route, which suited me better.

[Now I usually limited myself to 25 minutes or so, every day]

 

I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.
–   Abraham Lincoln

I liked the freedom of it, and starting from home–no time spent travelling to exercise. And there was no equipment needed—just a good pair of shoes and warm clothing. I usually took the same route–which never felt the same two days running–so to speak!– varying with the weather and changing  seasons.

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To find new things, take the path you took yesterday.
–   John Burroughs

Then one day I overdid it–and my left knee felt bad.

I had to stop for a while and missed it. I used an exercise bike–but it wasn’t the same.

Gradually my knee healed and I started walking again–but less. Now it’s three or four times a week– preserving old knees.

If one keeps on walking everything will be alright.
–   Soren Kierkegaard

 

Thoughts come clearly while one walks.
– Thomas Mann

 

It is not talking but walking that will bring us to heaven.
–  Matthew Henry

 

Straw men stretching after a walk…

 

 Type 2 Diabetes is a devil.

It’s a sneaky beast, a lurker and a patient one.

Diabetes UK estimates that there are about 549,000 people in Britain who have diabetes but have NOT yet been diagnosed.

Since 1996, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled–from 1.4 million to almost 3.5 million.

It’s diagnosed with a simple blood test. (I had NO symptoms!)

Wise to GET TESTED.

 

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Walking…

Posted in Diabetes, other sides to this life, Robin Ellis, tagged , on February 2, 2015| 51 Comments »

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I used to think walking was pedestrian!

I ran or jogged, or bicycled–walking took so long.

But then we moved here to rural France, where it’s a bit hilly. As I was getting older, I started walking.

Six times a week–usually for about 40 minutes–usually the same route, which never felt the same two days running (so to speak)!

Then one day I OVERDID it–and my left knee “went”.

I stopped for a while and tried the exercise bike– but it wasn’t the same.

Gradually my knee healed and I started walking again, but less–three or four times a week.

I settled into a routine of roughly 40 minutes every other day.

Three times 40 equals 120--so some weeks I was 30 minutes shy of the 150 minutes recommended aerobic exercise per week.

Recently I changed my routine again: Now I walk every day but for less time–a little over 20 minutes.

So that ring ups the magic 150.

And I feel good on it. “Ah, that’s done!”

Exercising each day–but not TOO long–lifts my spirits without becoming a burden.

One is less likely to throw in the towel.

(Also I’m thinking of my knees.)

I’m in good company…

 

If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish.

~Charles Dickens

 The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise and of all the exercises, walking is the best.

~Thomas Jefferson

 I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.

~Abraham Lincoln

 To find new things, take the path you took yesterday.  

~John Burroughs (American naturalist)

Thoughts come clearly while one walks.

~Thomas Mann

The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.

~Jacqueline Schiff  (poet)

 

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Walking back to a routine

Posted in other sides to this life, tagged , on June 15, 2014| 10 Comments »

 

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We’ve been busy and–one thing and another–routine such as it is here, day to day, has gone out the window.

There’s something to be said for routine, for a bit of structure.

I managed a walk this morning, the first since we got back from Normandy and it felt good.

Routinely, I try to walk every other day, ideally in the early morning–certainly in summer when it’s too hot by 10am.

I come back, the day’s ahead and a walk’s in the bag–a good feeling.

A bit of routine.

At 11.15–(it was cloudy and the wind was fresh)–I found myself out on the road.

Walking sets more than your legs in motion–the steady rhythm starts the mind turning over, popping stuff into your head–offering up ideas and solutions.

I’d got today’s lunch sorted yesterday–I thought; the left over spinach and rice torte and salad.

Then Meredith came back from the annual vide grenier (attic clearing sale) in Lautrec with scrambled eggs on her mind for breakfast–oh dear, there are four eggs in the torte!

Too bad I thought.

Then after ten minutes on the road, the sun came out and the mussels I bought for lunch yesterday floated into my thoughts.

(I’d forgotten they were in the fridge–I’d changed my mind about them when the weather got cooler.)

I was back home by noon–plenty of time.

The torte’ll keep ’til tomorrow!

Must remember it’s in the fridge though…

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whoopee–on the road again!

 

 

 

 

 

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The walking question…slow or fast?

Posted in Diabetes, other sides to this life, tagged , , , on February 19, 2012| 41 Comments »

That was the debate this morning on Broadcasting House–a favourite Sunday morning magazine program at 9am on BBC Radio 4.

Two opposing views, passionately held by two correspondents.

One can’t tolerate slow walkers and isn’t interested in the journey–just wants to get where she’s heading and finds slow walkers get in her way.

‘Walking is dead time’– she says.

The other thinks slow walking one of life’s great pleasures–helping poets write and thinkers to think.

(And here–helping grandparents spend time with their grandchildren!)

‘The journey is the fun part’ he says ‘life’s an amble’.

Which reminded Meredith of Constantine P Cavafy’s poem Ithaca.

I used think like the fast walker–about walking in general–that it all took too long.

I jogged–it was faster–over quicker and I could get on with other things.

Now I walk fast, power walk I suppose—nasty phrase.

Not to get where I’m going faster but to exercise the heart, burn up calories, and keep in shape.

And I do find it refreshes the mind as well as the body.

Walking slow I enjoy in company; chatting and strolling make good partners.

WALKING–-an anthology; please add to it at your will..!

Walk tall.

Walk on the wild side.

Walk on!

Walk–don’t run!

Sleepwalking.

Powerwalking.

Jaywalking.

Walking the gangplank.

Walking wounded.

Walking the line.

Walking a fine line.

The long walk.

‘I’m walking backwards for Christmas’--Goon Show 

song in the fifties.

The Ministry of Silly Walks.

‘Walking back to happiness’–Helen Shapiro

hit song in the sixties.

Walk the Walk–Talk the Talk.

Walkie-Talkie.

The boardwalk.

The catwalk.

Streetwalker.

“Doing the Lambeth walk”

Johnny Walker—

red or black…

Walk fast or slow…

But do–WALK!! 









 

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