What's a good alternative to walking?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm a huge fan of walking for fitness and weight loss...however as I'm stuck with cheap shoes I've seriously damaged my feet from walking so much, I now have huge blisters on top of blisters all over the back and underside of my heel, they're so bad I can barely walk from one room to the next and I'm in agony just sitting here. Thus walking is out for at least the next week or two.

I'm REALLY obsessive about walking so it's going to be very hard for me to stop walking even if I'm in this much pain (I suspect I'm going to 'cheat' and try to walk before my feet are healed), but I'm also trying to lose weight so I want to come up with something else I can do to try to help with weight-loss without causing even more damage and pain.

Any ideas for exercise or how to calm my obsessive need to walk?

You should get a good pair of running shoes that fit your feet so you do not get blisters. I have started swimming because of the heat wave. It doesn't require any shoes and I never got a blister while doing it. I am completely comfortable and feel better physically after swimming for a couple of hours.

In the summer heat I find that running socks are as important as the shoes, as they prevent blisters much better than cheap cotton socks.

Another thing you can try are the NexCare waterproof bandages or a similar product. Put them over the blisters. The waterproof variety stays put and cushions where the blister forms. I had a blister on the bottom of the big toe on my left foot and it was uncomfortable. I put a bandage on it and when I put pressure while walking it no longer hurt.

You could try walking barefoot on your forefoot.

Get shoes that fit properly. Or maybe get mole skin. It's like a bandaid but much cushier and designed specifically for this purpose.

Swimming and cycling are the main exercise alternatives to walking and running.

Swimming doesn't require shoes of any kind - a plus. But you do need a swimming pool nearby - and you will be using different muscles so it may take a little while to get used to it. But swimming laps is good exercise for the whole body and doesn't cause blisters on your feet.

Cycling requires a bicycle - and it affects the feet and shoes more like walking does than is the case with swimming. It might not be a good idea if your feet are too sore. But you are not taking your whole weight on your feet so it might be possible. Finding a suitable cycle track may be harder than finding a suitable swimming pool - a lot depends on your location.

Another possibility would be squash - a very energetic sport. But it requires both a squash court and use of footwear - the latter may hurt damaged feet.

You could also try looking up "aerobic exercise" on the Internet and see if any other types of exercise meet your fancy.

You could try swimming, biking outside, or if you prefer inside an exercise bike. Exercise bikes usually have straps on the pedals, so it's more comfy for your feet.

Like the others said, swimming or cycling are very good variants on walking. You could also consider an eliptical trainer.

Any possibility of just buying new shoes?