How long do you walk each time?

[BamaDan]

I'm on my third week of walking again. I have bad arthritis in my left knee so it's hard to walk a long time. I started out at 20 minutes for each walk. I've built up to where I can walk 45 minutes to an hour before I stop. I track my steps on the website on my PC instead of my phone. It tracks your progress in 15 minute intervals. I think it's around 1,400 steps that gives you the intense line. I get obsessed with getting the intense line as many times as I can. Yesterday I managed to get it 5 times in a row and walked an hour and 15 minutes. I can easily get 5000 steps in that time. I do that twice in one day and I've got my 10,000, but after that I push it to 15,000. It also helped that I've found a level spot with no hills to walk on and use a cane. I went outside in my carport after 10pm and walked 30 minutes. I've been sharing my screenshots with a couple of friends but they really don't care.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @BamaDan - I also have a bad knee - arthritis and nerve pain - and have to do my walking in shorter spurts. But I want to tell you about something that is helping me. I bought an under table elliptical and use that for 30 to 40 minutes each morning while enjoying my coffee and reading the news. This loosens up my joint and works as well as pain meds. in fact, if I feel the knee stiffening up (like when the weather is changing), I’ll do another session of peddling. I did not start this at my doctor’s recommendation. but told him about it later. He said to keep it up and that there are medical reasons why the gently peddling can help a joint.

[emili]

@BamaDan that's terrific- way to go making progress. Just remember to check in with aches and pains, you don't want to end your progress by getting hurt. As for your friends not caring, its probably more that they don't get it. Those of us who are fitbiters through and through, get it and celebrate milestones and successes. Unless you are one of us- it isn't something on the radar of happiness. 

[BamaDan]

Thanks for the suggestion of the elliptical. Unfortunately, my left knee is too bad to do any peddling. The pain is so bad when I bend it that I walk with it straight. I only bend it to sit or stand. I even keep it straight when I get in the shower. That takes some maneuvering. I know I'm probably ruining my right leg and hip but it's the only way I can walk. If I do try to bend it and walk normal, my knee is so sore the next day I can barely limp. Maybe if I get more weight off I can but right now I can't do it.

[BamaDan]

Thanks! Yeah, the aches and pains are something I've been fighting through since I started this. It's a struggle but it is easier than it was.

[BamaDan]

Yesterday I managed to get 20,569 steps. Beat my record by 300 steps. Got 9.45 miles in. But, to do that I have to treat it like a full time job. That's not too hard because I don't work anyway but it's very time consuming. I can walk 45 minutes - an hour but I need a minimum of 3 hours rest in between, most times it's 4 hours. I did my first walk yesterday morning from 5:30-6:15. My last walk was 10:45pm-11:00pm.

[SunsetRunner]

Good job, @BamaDan ! So glad you gave us this update. You are determined!