Walking indoors with the aid
of the walking videos are great but after a while I get bored and
nothing beats the outdoors. I fell back into my old routine of spending
my lunch hour enjoying an entertaining conversation with
my fellow colleagues or some days I would just take a nap. I eventually
decided that this is not healthy for my age at 50 years old (February
2012) so I started a HEALTHY
ME campaign.
I began taking short walks
during my lunch breaks it did not matter the length of time I walked or
how fast I walked. The objective was to get moving. My walks eventually
elevated to an hour long walk from my home in the mornings. There are
no pavements in the area where I walk and we do not have any large
parks
where we can walk without having to be concerned about vehicles etc.
I thought that I needed to
write this article to provide tips about how to walk safely on
public roads. These
are useful if there are pavements or not.
Walk
on the side of the road
in such a way that the
vehicles are approaching you to the front rather than from
behind. That way you can see if an accident might occur which will give
you some time to get out of the way safely (hopefully).
As I approach a blind
corner (the road bends sharply and nothing is visible beyond the
corner's
bend) I usually cross over to the other side of the road where
I can see the vehicles
approaching me at all times. Crossing the road before the blind corner
eliminates any surprises for both me – the pedestrian and the driver.
I like to walk early in the
mornings, that way the air is fresh and
there are less vehicles on the road. Less vehicles equals to less
pollution.
If you decide to walk in an
area that is not well lit, wear
some sort of gadget that illuminates in the night. It may be a pair of
sneakers with a special feature that lights up in dark areas (for
example – shoe laces). Some runners use a head torch which is
convenient so they do not have to hold any objects in their hands while
running. Do not assume that a driver will see you in areas that are
not well lit. They may see a pedestrian when it is too late.
I have seen many people walk with their cell
phones in their hands. I
even saw a lady with an umbrella!!! My suggestion is to get a back pack
and place your items in the bag. I put my cell phone (if I have an
emergency call) and my keys in my bag. I recently started taking a pair
of dumbbells with me. That’s all I need.
Some people like to walk with their ipod/iphone so that they can be
motivated by the music. This is not a bad idea but for me, I do not
like anything in my ear and I enjoy listening to the birds while I walk
– that is enough music for me. Also, I think it is very important to be
able to hear what is going on around you - any strange noises etc. If
you choose to take an ipod/phone with you while walking, there are arm
band case holders you can get to put your iphone/ipod into.
Ball
of the foot
Another tip that I think is very important, it happened to me so I
thought that I should mention it. Wear a comfortable pair of sneakers
when out walking. On two occasions, I went walking with my slippers – I
forgot my sneakers at home and I thought that it would have been
alright to walk with my leather slippers.
On my way back home, the ball
of my feet began to pain me and the pain intensified. The
first time it happened
to me, I had to walk very slowly, I thought I would not been able
to make it
back home. Eventually I realized that I had a water bladder under each
foot.
So there you have it, some tips that can assist you to safely walk on
the public roads. Join me and develop your own Healthy Me campaign.
Good luck, get moving and be healthy!!
Let's discuss why some people
walk with their umbrellas.
A
few days ago on my regular early morning walks I met my niece-in-law
along the way and we paused and spoke for a few minutes. While we were
conversing it began to rain (lightly). She panicked a bit and began
looking for a place to shelter.
We parted ways at this point and I smiled as I thought about her. The
reason she
panicked was because she did not want to ruin her hair style. She had a
weave
installed and we all know these (braids included) are expensive - in
addition
when the hair get wet it takes some time to dry.
For
me I would not leave my home if it is raining and when I am out walking
I would eventually develop a sweat so if it rains it will be welcomed
as it will cool me down.
Walking with an umbrella is an unnecessary burden unless it is to be
used as a substitute for a dumbbell.
There you have it - the reason why some people take their umbrellas
with them while doing their walking exercises.
Martina
Jackson
Creator and Owner of this website www.70pounds.com
Ball
of the foot
