On walking

[Toni]

After many years of doing all kinds of physical exercises now I think walking is probably the best exercise for health. I have done all kind of stuff: calisthenics, lifting weights, stretching, some pilates and yoga, a lot of qigong, taichi, running, swimming, etc. This is all fine and interesting, but now I have concluded that walking is better than anything else. Maybe it is because it is the most natural form of moving exercise for the human body.

 

If someone can walk a few kilometers every day, he will be working greatly for his health and wellbeing, and it is also a very good moment to meditate.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Toni

[silent thunder]

Walking's where it's at.

 

I was a competitive skier and swimmer, a martial artist, rock climber and have logged many tens of thousands of miles on a bicycle.  I've played Qi Gong, lifted weights, even played the Western Yoga game for a bit.

 

Built a career working 23 years in Construction of Scenic elements for stage, film and television.  10 hour days wielding wood, steel, glass and aluminium.

 

Walking surpasses all as pure healthy movement for my body.

[Toni]

I am very glad somebody agree with my conclusion. It is something that I have discovered only after many years of studying and practicing different kind of stuff.

[silent thunder]

I likely would not have agreed in my twenties, thirties, or early in my fourties.

 

But lately it's clear  how much benefit walkking provides, with almost no wear and tear- degridation.

 

I'd put swimming as a distant second, due to low/no impact on joints.  And i will mention that walking through waist high water at our local pool, was one of my most effective rehab treatments when recovering from multiple ankle reconstructions after years of being semi-crippled.  The light resistance of the water and the decreased weight/pressure on the joints were nigh on miraculous in their effect of strengthening and stretching without inducing added pressures and stressors on recovering soft tissues.

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by silent thunder

[oak]

"Walking is man's best medicine."

Hippocrates

[MBZ]

Walking is great for sure. I walk 8-10 miles a day as a STAT courier at a hospital, but in my humble opinion, if you could pick only one form of exercise and you didn’t already do physical labor of some sort, it should be some kind of strength training. It’s better for the bones and helps with basically everything especially as we age. Again, just my opinion.

[silent thunder]

I do get quite a bit of lifting in at my job.  It has its benefits for sure.

But I have found it must be done with prejudice and extreme mindfulness to avoid more harm than good in stressing the body.

 

Walking is stress relieving while invigorating vitality and longevity.

Particularly when walking/hiking hills and terrain, not just meandering sidewalks in flat cityscapes.

[Toni]

walking is  good for strenghtening the legs and the back, but at the same time it is good for the cardiovascular system

[Ad_B]

I have some thoughts on the matter since I have to walk approx 10 UK miles a day for work and it was bloody well killing me for 7 years until I stared learning taichichaun and qigong and doing a bit of that along with stretches, squats and etc...20 - 30 minutes all told before work and all of a sudden....bliss, balance, harmony.

 

What irked a bit was the realisation that I hadn't been walking properly, poor form, not swinging arms, too rigid, too hurried, awkward gait, poor breathing, distracted, trying to over-work it and getting physical and mental stress, poor diet and bad attitude etc etc. And when as an adult you realise that you don't even know how to walk properly....its a bit of a revelation.

 

Now, with much studying and refinement, the miles just fly-by-nicely.

 

Personally I'd add swimming into the mix in a perfect world.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Ad_B
sp

[Toni]

Yes, stretches are necessary always

[Who.am.i]

I have also tried virtually all forms of exercise and i came to the same conclusion. I found that walking is the best for overall health and vitality. I like to sprinkle in some strength calisthenics, yoga, and qigong as i feel moved to. It goes perfect with my mantra practice. Every step is a syllable. Ah Mi Tuo Fo

 

I agree walking really is the best medicine. 

[thelerner]

I've always found the gentle rhythmic slightly heart raising exercise of walking to be anti-inflammatory.   Many ills and strains can be walked off. 

[Gerard]

On 05/05/2020 at 7:09 PM, Toni said:

If someone can walk a few kilometers every day...

A few only?

 

A hundred even better. Yes meditation is always great after spending the whole day walking or cycling.

 

Btw:
 

State of nature: how modern humans lived as nomads for 99 per cent of our history

 

 

[Toni]

100 km walking? not bad!

[Toni]

In fact walking is better than zz

[Toni]

I think it is better for general health

[silent thunder]

1 hour ago, Toni said:

In fact walking is better than zz

While I support your ability to believe whatever... your assertion is not supported.

 

Such claims are like the following, conveying opinion, not functional meaning of stated truths.

 

In fact Mozart is better than Beethoven.

In fact cheese is better than bacon.

 

According to what sample?  Who's experience?

 

These are revealed as unsupportable claims of opinion and thought turned to belief.

1 hour ago, Toni said:

I think it is better for general health

A resoundingly potent realization came to me decades ago, unbidden.  I share it due to relevance.

 

"Just because I thought it, and even felt strongly about it, does not mean it's inherently real, true, or even important.

Thoughts are thoughts.  We have thousands a day.

 

Don't believe everything you think."

[Toni]

I have done both zz and walking and there is a very big difference. But anyway both are good and can complement each other.

 

So it is an opinion based on direct experience. Any of you can have the experience tested easily, so you can know if i am right or not

Edited May 18, 2020 by Toni

[senseless virtue]

38 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

In fact cheese is better than bacon.

 

It's utterly despicable that one should subject two very fine food ingredients into choices excluding each other when their natural marriage makes the mouth wet from ecstatic food porn climaxes. We need marriage counseling to help this couple recover, and the uninvited guests at the wedding ceremony must be gagged!

 

After a careful consider I have however come to the conclusion that we should...

 

Spoiler

...BEHEAD THOSE WHO INSULT CHEESE!

Edited May 18, 2020 by virtue

[silent thunder]

11 minutes ago, virtue said:

 

It's utterly despicable that one should subject two very fine food ingredients into choices excluding each other when their natural marriage makes the mouth wet form ecstatic food porn climaxes. We need marriage counseling to help this couple recover, and the uninvited guests at the wedding ceremony must be gagged!

 

After a careful consider I have however come to the conclusion that we should...

 

  Hide contents

...BEHEAD THOSE WHO INSULT CHEESE!

Thanks for the belly laugh mate! 

 

It kind of hurt to write that cheese bacon comment... so. much. cognitive. dissonance. inherent. in. the. concept...

 

 

The gentle man behind Almazan Kitchen has succeeded in counseling these two...

 

His methods.  Open kitchen.  Fresh bread and an open flame...

 

doesn't hurt to add one more counseling agent... eggs.

 

[doc benway]

 

2 hours ago, Toni said:

In fact walking is better than zz

 

In fact, explicitly offering an opinion is better than stating an opinion as if it were fact... 

This tendency to mistake our opinions for some universal truth is the cause of so many conflicts.

[Cleansox]

1 hour ago, Toni said:

I have done both zz and walking and there is a very big difference. 

Ahhh. 

A statement that is easy to agree with. 

The forum version of a glas of cool water when you are thirsty. 

[Toni]

The funny thing about all that is that there are plenty of so called masters who will tell you to do ZZ in one particular way and that this will have great benefits and all this bullshit. Then the truth is that walking is better than doing this. But i don't think any great master/guru will ever say it, as it would mean that all his super techniques are snake oil and he couldn't sell you his magic stuff.

[Cleansox]

All the so called masters take a few things for granted. 

 

Examples:

That you already know how to walk, and actually do that. 

That you get enough oxygen into your system so you are not in danger of brain damage ( that one is for ReturnDragon). 

That you are not starving. 

 

So comparing any of these states with the noble art of qi/nei/shen gong or any derivate therefrom (including but not limited to...................) is rather silly. 

 

Now, being silly helps while online, and silliness increases the posting here, so why not continue? 

 

Of course, sooner or later someone with a sensitive Liver is going to call you names, but that is to be expected. 

 

 

[freeform]

16 hours ago, silent thunder said:

A resoundingly potent realization came to me decades ago, unbidden.  I share it due to relevance.

 

"Just because I thought it, and even felt strongly about it, does not mean it's inherently real, true, or even important.

Thoughts are thoughts.  We have thousands a day.

 

Don't believe everything you think."

 

Resoundingly potent realisation - yes

 

At first it's humbling.

 

But then it's so freeing!