Readers Respond: How Did You Start Walking?

Responses: 30

Updated October 30, 2008

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From the article: My First Walk

How did you first start walking? Who or what convinced you to try walking? Tell us about your first walking experiences. Share Your First Walk

I did everything wrong! Aside from being overweight and not ever training, I dressed wrong, wore the wrong shoes, forgot my sunglasses. Arrgghh. That was in September of 1989. In November, I went on a liquid diet & started walking 2 miles a day. Walking divisions in races were rare back then, but I competed in a 2 mile run Thanksgiving Day 1990 and did my first & maybe last/only marathon in 1992 with the help of a great running/walking club and training buddies. My goal is to walk that marathon next year on the 20th anniversary of my first marathon...Wish me luck!
—owlpoet

I started 5 yrs ago with Leslie Sansone in house walking 2x daily and lost a ton of weight and continue to do it every morning 2 or 3 miles to maintain. I owe it all to Leslie! Its fun, quick and easy.
—Beyonce55

When my son was deployed to Iraq and I was newly widowed, I was so stressed. I started walking over my lunch hour and by the time my Marine was home for his post deployment leave, I was able to do a 5 K. He still runs rings around me, but I can make the distance.
—Guest threadbndr

I ballooned up to 300 pounds, had diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and couldn't walk even 1/4 mile. I started walking in 2007, then walk/run, then marathons. I have now finished a 1/2 Ironman Triathlon and still going. I still walk/run.
—Guest rowen

The Jr High I went to was 1.95 miles from my home. 2 miles away meant you got to ride the bus. It was a great start. Also having life long asthma, I learned early running would trigger symptoms, so I always kept it at the walking pace. By age 25 I was 220 and lazy. I got the demanding dog (Queensland Heeler) that needed daily walks. Within in a few months we were logging 25-30 miles a week and I was 175.
—Guest Pink Floyd Fan

Okay, not really. In fact, I was a late walker due to anemia, but once I got past that, walking became part of my life. My mom didn't drive, so we walked everywhere--school, store, friends' houses. My first "real" walk on my own must have come at about age 12, when I packed a bit of foil-wrapped hamburger and potato and left on a grand adventure (the world was a different place then for kids). I walked to the neighboring town, built a small campfire in a clearing in a wooded area, cooked my lunch and ate, doused the campfire, then walked home. The total distance was probably only 5 or 6 miles, but I felt proud I had done it on my own. My major accomplishment as an adult has been the Nijmegen 4-Day Marches, in which I walked 50 km a day for 4 days, because that's the distance my husband had to walk to get the Queen's medal.
—Guest Celia

I had a lumbar spinal fusion with pediscal screw in my lower back oct 20th I have been talking small steps ever since I just now have no pain when I walk it took 3 months
—Guest teri

I am very over weight at the time I started 312 lbs, and never exercised. I was getting sick with colds and flu, dizzy spells. I started with 3500 steps and walked everyday adding 100 steps a week. One year later without any diet changes I'm down 30 lbs and walking 10,000 steps. I'm not getting sick either. I plan to add diet changes this year to lose even more.
—Guest kimber

I started walking while participating in a health program organized by a corporate nurse at the plant where I worked. I got hooked and continued doing it for years. One day, due to historically poor food choices, bad habits of the past and genetics I went into tachycardia during an intense bicycle outing and required triple by-pass surgery. The morning after surgery my doctor said that if I hadn't been exercising for years that we wouldn't be talking that morning. Guess what I had been doing as my major form of exercise. You guessed it. WALKING. The elimination of those poor food choices and continuous walking have given me a new life. It is good to be in such distinguished, healthy company.
—Guest Charlie Frisinger

I started walking in a competition between sisters to support one sister with CF. Since the competition ended I have continued walking because I found I actually really enjoy walking. I even conquered the desperation to have someone walk with me. I now listen to music instead. It's been a great time and I will miss it during the winter.
—Guest Snow Loather

I started power walking after being a runner for 9 months. I am 72 yr old female who used to run 20 yrs. ago but my knees let me down. I have never had the patience to walk and so went through the levels quite quickly and am now walking 4 k's 2 days or more, 8 or 9 k's once a week, a day or two of interval for speed and a day of ball exercises and weights. I still struggle with a bad knee but I try to ignore it. I love my long walk its such a meditation for me. I am stubborn and like to challenge myself. My short walk has a steady upgrade which taxes me and my long walk has a great hill. I am trying to increase my long walks to reach 10 k's to be able to walk the 10k in my first ever race. My friends think I am nuts to be doing this at 72 but let them walk with canes while I pump my arms hard and consistently and pass them! I want to be able to keep power walking and maybe even look at race walking but I am a little hesitant as it looks like it might be hard on the knees and hips.Tips?
—Guest Stefan Carson

My left neighbour walks wiith another friend of her that lives nearby. She invited me to join them and since a month I do it everyday. Since one week my right neighbour has joined the group too. We are four now. At 9 o'clock we call each other's bell.
—Guest Marisa Polin

I start walking at the big mall 2 miles a day. I go almost everyday. I've lost 9 pounds so far. Don't let winter stop you.
—Guest cowboyjunky

I have been walking with my parents since I was very young. But my own walk started when I got angry at them and left the house for a night, and all the night I kept walking. That night I got rid of all the depression I'd grown out of my surroundings and felt a great relaxation. Since then I'm an Three-Hours-A-Day-Walker. :)
—Guest 3hoursadaywalker

My first "real" walk outside started early in the morning on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. After I came back home, I was out the door every morning and after work out the door again and I began logging about 20-30 miles per week. I lost about 100 lbs and kept it off for 10 yrs. Believe me, the treadmill is fine for walking when the weather is bad, but there is nothing like walking outside, breathing that fresh air, smelling the flowers and watching the sky...ahh...life is good!
—Guest slgrasley

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