Eliza, a non-walker, went to a pro baseball game and a casino with her sister for an easy, fun day and evening outing.
Her sister told Eliza that the ballpark was “just a couple of blocks” from the casino and hotel they were staying in. That sounded doable, right?
First, there was a long walk from the parking garage to the hotel because they couldn’t find the valet parking.
Then, a walk from the hotel to the ballpark.
It turned out to be about, oh, six blocks rather than two. Both ways.
And then up and down the ramps and steps in the ballpark and through the walkways.
After finally arriving back at the casino, there was more walking and walking and walking. Finally, they walked to their hotel room and went to sleep.
What was the first thing Eliza said when she woke the next morning?
“I need motrin!”
Eliza will recover but she told me she had no idea that her “leg muscles run all the way up to my boobs.”
Indeed. Your leg muscles attach to your feet and your pelvic girdle and your spine. When you walk, all of the muscles that propel you are actively working.
When those muscles aren’t used to being particularly active, you can have post-exercise soreness, just like Eliza did the next day.
What’s the best way to avoid soreness after walking?
Start your walking program slowly. You can increase your distance gradually, every few days. Nice and easy, no rush. If you get sore, you’ll stop walking.
How far should you walk the first day?
Depends on how active you’ve been but if you’re pretty much a house-potato, you might only be able to walk two houses away. Start with the distance that you can do without struggle and remember, you also have to walk back to your starting point.
Here are two more examples:
- Lisa came to see me and didn’t understand why she was sore. “All I did was take a walk.” “How far did you go?” She had walked FIVE MILES! “But I used to do that all the time.” “How long since you walked?” It had been about FIVE YEARS!
- Rosalie had the “sitting disease”, like a lot of us. She started her walking program in her living room and then her back yard, eventually managing to get around the block. Now, she race walks!
So, start your walking program thoughtfully and increase distance gradually to avoid post-exercise soreness.
I have faith in you. You can do it!
