walking Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

The Simple Art of Walking

Paula — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 14:17:00 +0000

Or How I Don’t Want Your Pity Walk Became Let Me Get a Sweater and My Shoes) With gyms closed for much of the past year, I have discovered the value of the simple art of walking. We walk in all the weather, sometimes alone but often together. That’s been a highlight of this year actually. Walking. Discovering the art of walking has been an unexpected positive in a year too full of negatives. The Art of Walking It started as a way to get the kids moving and a means for me to get my steps in for the day. Way back in March, when the pandemic was new and kids were still adjusting, my youngest was reluctant to do anything. She was (as is often her default state) pissed off at the world. I Don’t Want Your Pity Walk Her anger got the best of her that day. We can all still recall the day I drove both of my daughters to Fanshawe Conservation Area, and she refused to leave the van yelling: “I don’t want your pity walk.” And she didn’t join us to walk that day. But Payton and I continued. WE walked and let her sit inside the van to calm down. Sometimes everyone needs a little space. Disappointment Takes Time It was the week that we learned the border was closed and our annual Vermont ski trip, was postponed until December (well here we are in December and yet the world is not yet safe for travel, but that’s another story.) And we were all upset and disappointed and a bit angry, but trying not to show it. And Eventually She Joined Us Too We continued several times a week. Some days, that was us joking and laughing as we walk. Occasionally it was, or is someone griping and complaining all the way about how cold it is, but still we go frequently together. And Yet… In a span of a few months angry, disappointed and reluctant finally became let me grab my sweater or my coat, or to be honest occasionally, let me throw on some pants. LOL. How We Went From NO WAY to Wait for Me Last week, my younger girl, the prickly I don’t want your pity walk teen, couldn’t wait to get going after dinner, every single night. There are a few good things about 2020 for my family. Learning the art of walking has been one of my favourite parts of this questionable year. One is that I continue to get more steps in than I did the year before. The outdoors is my gym now and it has been for months. That’s not a bad thing. I have genuinely enjoyed finding all of the trails and paths in my neighbourhood and at times I have also done my best to vary up the routine, adding jogging, running or just exploring to my walk. More often than not, my kids come with me for our walks. Some days they bicker endlessly as siblings often do, and other days they have me doubled over laughing so hard at the absurd jokes and silly things they do. As many of you know my kids have some mental health issues and anxiety is high on that list. The pandemic made that worse a lot of days. Our Mental Health Routine Our routine for supporting mental health has always been modelling that exercise, food, water and sleep are not negotiable. It pays off, and as hard as it is to get your winter coat, boots, scarf and mittens out some days, it is also important to do so. Every single time we walk we end up feeling better when we come back to our home, where school and work are currently. Our Serotonin Fix My oldest girl calls it her serotonin fix for the day, mostly because we usually see either a small child out walking or trying to figure out a bicycle, or we see neighbourhood dogs that we end up petting. There’s a tiny miniature Morkie we adore and have come to know and a sweet little toddler who once ran right into our garage as we were leaving for our walk. There’s so much value in celebrating the small stuff and of course there’s merit in moving. Laughter and Love Reflecting on 2020, and what has gotten us through the year, I can’t help but think of these nightly walks as a highlight. We talk to more neighbours; we know the names of most of the dogs in our neighbourhood and sometimes we laugh until our sides hurt. I’d Rather Be Here While we would absolutely still rather be skiing in the mountains in Vermont right now, we at least have our walks and mastering the art of walking has been a highlight of this challenging year. Disappointment and Moving On We’ve all dealt with a lot of disappointment this year, and I am certainly not minimizing that in any way. We dealt with a lot of anger and stress at the beginning of the pandemic when I scrambled to plug in supports for my younger daughter, who seemed depressed. And my older girl recently was also struggling. We’ve since found a virtual therapist for her too. Magic in the Moments At Hand Even more reason to keep moving. The art of walking means that sometimes you also find joy where you didn’t expect to. If we hadn’t timed it precisely right one night we would never have seen the beaver working away underneath the bridge we were standing on and if we hadn’t stopped to watch him, then we wouldn’t have seen the two deer bolt out of the bushes. Magic. Other nights we have seen numerous storks, herons and so many fireflies. Morning or Night WE walk in the mornings and sometimes at night. And we walk through snow, rain and heat. Often, we chase the constellations staring at the sky and naming them with an app in our hands to help. It Might Not Be… It might not be Vermont, Quebec, Ireland, Gulf Shores or even Ottawa but it could be one day. Right now, the art of walking is keeping us all sane, sometimes connected, and even mentally fit. A Different Path There’s also a point I am making every day by walking. It clears my head and gets my body started and also it’s a little bit about finding resilience and showing my kids you take the punches and keep on rolling. Life isn’t always going to roll out the red carpet at your feet. Sometimes you have to grab your boots, your coat, create a different pathway and just get walking.

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Are Flip Flops Bad for Your Feet?

Paula — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 09:49:15 +0000

Flips flops are a staple in everyone’s summer wardrobe. True story – my kids have been buying these on their own for years. Who can blame them? They are inexpensive and easy to toss on and also cute. Once I wrote about the time my older girl zip lined through Puerto Vallarta rain forest wearing flip flops. Oh so popular during the summer months and when you go on holidays, flip flops are inexpensive and easy to pack. It’s no wonder people love this popular form of footwear. They are easy and flexible and they scream beach vacation. But Are They Good, or Bad, For Feet? Formerly reserved for the beach, community showering facilities, or the gym locker room, flip flops have found their way into day-to-day wardrobes. They can often revamped for dressier occasions. Despite the popularity of the shoe, people who wear flip flops on a regular basis, or those who wear flip flops as their go-to footwear, are doing more harm than good to their feet, knees, and legs. While wearing flip flops in moderation may not make a difference, habitual flip flop wearers may find a variety of aches, pains, and conditions that are associated with their favourite footwear. In fact, your body may even alter the way in which you walk if you wear flip flops a lot. Study Finds that Flip Flops Cause Pain in Feet, Legs, and Back Flip flops, by nature, are not a very protective shoe. They lack any structure at the back of the foot to provide ankle support and are usually made from thin rubber or foam-like materials, which provides little cushion while walking. Additionally, flip flops made with the traditional squishy foam are likely to absorb water and create a slippery surface to walk on, especially when floors or sidewalks are wet as well. A study done by Auburn University found that wearing flip flops alters the way you walk. This can cause back, leg, knee, and foot pain for those who habitually wear the popular shoe. Newsweek reports that Auburn doctoral student Justin Shroyer and biomechanics laboratory director Dr. Wendi Weimar were discussing ideas for a research project when the two decided to examine the way humans walk when wearing flip flops versus other shoes. Shroyer and Weimar collected a random sample of thirty-nine college students, both male and female, and had them wear flip flops while walking on a special platform. This platform measured the amount of pressure that was applied each time a foot hit the ground. Additionally, Shroyer and Weimar recorded study participants while they were walking to document the movements of their feet, legs, and hips. Shorter Steps Equal Risk of Pain What data collected from the platform tests and video recordings showed is that people wearing flip flops take shorter steps. That means the body has to do more work to move the same amount of distance when a person is wearing flip flops versus athletic shoes. Since the body is doing more work than usual for that activity, the risk of pain and injuries to the muscles, tendons, and joints that the human body uses to walk increases. Scrunching Toes The structure of the flip flop also caused a problem. “When you wear flip-flops, you kind of scrunch your toes to keep the flip-flop on your foot,” Shroyer told Newsweek. This constant scrunching causes certain muscles to tense. Over time this can cause pain in your toes. Benefits of Flip Flops Surprisingly, there are some benefits to wearing flip flops, despite the potential for pain and damage their use has on toes, ankles, feet, legs, and knees. Good For Showers For ages, camp counselors, college and university personnel, fitness center owners, and even branches of the military throughout the world have recommended wearing flip flops while using public showers. The flip flop’s structure allows people to still wash their feet while preventing skin infections from public facilities. Since these shoes are also relatively inexpensive, they can also be disposed of and replaced if infections or illnesses break out as a result of public showers. Another Study A study conducted by Rush Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has also found that wearing flip flops in moderation may be helpful for people who have arthritis. People who have arthritis, the study showed, had less stress on their knees as a result of wearing flip flops versus any other kind of shoe, even athletic shoes, according to one CNN report. However, Rush has also indicated you should not wear them if you have planter fasciitis. Alternative Shoe Options Sandals in general have been worn for centuries and date back thousands of years. Podiatrists and researchers, however, recommend that people wear flip flops in moderation to prevent pain and damage to their feet and legs. When looking for summer sandals, podiatrists recommend finding a pair that has a cup-like structure to support the ankle as a person walks. It’s ideal to wear shoes that have a secure way of fastening onto the person’s foot. This prevents the toes from scrunching up to keep the shoes on and allow people to walk with a more natural stride. As Always Moderation is Key As warmer weather arrives, flip flops continue to be a popular summer foot wear option for those who have toes that need sun too. Fans of these shoes, however, should be careful to wear their beloved shoes in moderation to prevent injuries and pain in their toes, ankles, feet, legs, and other body parts. Excessive flip flop wear is not beneficial for your feet. Post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. Purchases made via qualifying links equal a small commission for me.

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