Melanie Toye’s walking for health

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay So I had this brainstorm moment. I have put on weight and I need to lose weight. I have had a gut full. (Mind the pun). Walking is becoming hard to fit into my schedule. Because I basically have to walk 1-2 hours a day and I just can’t fit that time in. It’s also swooping bird season, which I dread.  So I did some brainstorming.  1. Ask ChatGPT for a fitness plan  First, I went into chatGPT and asked for an exercise program to lose weight over a year. It was pretty standard, nothing fancy. However, I was still impressed it did give me a fitness workout. But it was boring and not something I really wanted to do. Maybe if I was a bit more detailed in my question, maybe I would have got a different answer.  2. Find a local gym  Then I went to look for local gyms but seriously the price a week was just out of my price range and again I would face the “time” problem. I leave early in the morning and get home late most nights so ...

Image by Bill Bowler from Pixabay It may seem easy, you press the power button and you start walking. But here are five ways how to use a treadmill: 1. You can choose the pace  This may seem like the main way to use a treadmill but have you thought about interval walking. What I discovered while on my treadmill is I can go a certain speed say 4.5 or 5.0 and then after 20 minutes, I can do interval training which means going 6.0 or 6.5 for five minutes and then back to my original speed. I can repeat this every 20 minutes.  Not only does it make the walking more interesting. The fast interval of walking boosts my heart rate and boosts my stamina. So when you are on a treadmill you can create these games for interval training and even change the pace of the music when you enter the faster pace period.  It’s only for a short period so you can catch your breath when you go back to your original pace.  2. Watch a movie while on the treadmill So I walk with my mobile. Thi...

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay Most people when they start an exercise plan, they spend money on new clothes so they feel good when exercising. However, if you are going to spend money, spend it on good quality walking shoes.  So when I am wearing cheap shoes, I notice after a long walk my feet are hurting and sometimes that pain extends up through my calves as well. Because cheap shoes do not provide support to your feet while walking.  Think of it this way, cheap shoes should only be worn for short outings. Like thongs (the shoes) should be worn to the beach so you can take them off once you reach the sand. But wearing thongs for an hour walk and I admit to doing this, I actually got really sore feet and legs and had to get a half hour massage just focusing on my legs because I could barely walk afterwards. And my legs hurt for days. Plus I got blisters on my feet, which lasted about a week. So all this extra pain when I could have just worn proper joggers for th...

Image by Ryan Doka from Pixabay have to say, I stopped walking for a couple of weeks due to swooping of birds and the weather and put on weight. I knew I had to do something so I could walk again.  So I bought myself a treadmill. I placed it in front of my TV and have been walking every day on the treadmill.  There are huge advantages for having a treadmill, such as: If it’s dark outside you can walk inside.  If it’s raining outside, you can walk anyway. You can watch your favourite TV shows and walk.  You can go on your treadmill at any time of day or night.  There are also some disadvantages:  Treadmills are bulky. They are sort of, in the way and are heavy to move out of the way, but not impossible.  For some reason I walk less on a treadmill than if I was walking around outside. At the beginning my legs hurt after the treadmill and I also felt a bit dizzy but after a week this went away.  Do you have a treadmill? What is your favourite part o...

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay I am thinking of purchasing a treadmill? I am finding the swooping of birds puts me off walking and I just do not feel relaxed while walking outside because of the potential of swooping birds. In addition, when it rains or storms I do not want to walk, even though I really want to walk.  But if I had a treadmill, I wouldn't have this problem. Although, the amount of treadmills for sale on MarketPlace on Facebook is concerning. Why are people selling them? One friend said, everyone buys a treadmill and doesn't use it. But here me out. I will be able to listen to my podcasts easier without getting parts blocked out due to the traffic going past.  I will be able to watch movies. I may be able to have it located in front of the TV and even after a big walk, can do a ten minute or thirty minute walk while watching a movie/TV show.  I actually think it is a good idea and these days, you do not have to buy a super expensive one or a bulky one....