Oh dear…My 10 minutes every day hasn’t done too well!
Although I have managed a few walks this week:
Tuesday: 1.5 km at an average pace of 11.47 minutes per km
Wednesday: 3.28 km at an average of 11.53 minutes per km
Saturday: 2.15 km at an average of 12.07 minutes per km.
I had been planning to do a walk on Friday too, but somehow, when it got to Friday lunchtime I couldn’t be arsed and I preferred to sit in the sunshine with my book and a delicious Vegetarien Gourmand sandwich – creamy cheese, carrot, marinaded courgette, edema beans, and a delicious dressing, in crusty, seedy baguette.
None of the walks were done at any great pace, as they are nowhere near the 12 kph that is apparently brisk walking. Mind you, I had a virtual conversation with the lovely Mrs M who is slim and fit and does lots of walking/running which went like this:
I had blogged about having a bit of a tumble, which had put a stop to my walking
- MRS M: Oh no I was at first reading thinking yes this is great but then ouch! I hope you aren’t too badly bruised and can get back into a routine again soon!
- FAT DORMOUSE: I’ve managed a couple of walks since then…but I have thought again about the recommended 12 kph an hour. That seems impossible! My maths was wrong (twice!) and I’ve worked out that I am doing 1.6 km in about 21 minutes. So that’s nowhere near 12 kph. It’s more like 4.8 km/h Which is ridiculously slow compared to what I’m supposed to be doing. But 12 kph requires you to do 1 km in 5 minutes. Is that possible, without running? I was fairly knackered after my miserable effort! I think I shall not bother about trying to reach 12 kph at the moment, but just get on with walking in a way that makes me breathless. Sorry. This isn’t a “reply”, it’s another blogpost!! 🙂
- MRS M: There is no way you can walk 1km in 5 minutes! I walked 4k in 17 minutes the other day and I wasn’t out of breath but felt like it was far enough! I think as long as you keep going at a pace you can manage you are doing some good. You will be able to walk further and quicker in time, try not to over think it 😊
***
1 km in 5 minutes does seem a bit scary. Especially as I’m doing my kilometres in more than double that. Still, I suppose if I could get it down to 1 km in 10 minutes that would be good.
And no walk today. It’s piddling down. Maybe next week!!
View from the Teapot 
I had to convert this to miles to understand it better. A brisk walking speed is 3 mph; it takes roughly 20 minutes to walk a mile. 12 kph is about 7.5 mph. A walk of 12 km an hour is partway between a jog and a run; the average speed for a brisk walk in metric is 5 kph or 1 km every 12 mins (this is still slightly more than the imperial equivalent).
I suggest seeing what you can realistically achieve in 20 minutes. You might then take that as your benchmark, multiply by 3 to get an hour’s worth, etc.
I’m still trying to motivazte mlyself to get out every day. I’ve managed it 3 times this week. I suspect when it gets colder it may become more difficult!
I know I’m a 3 miles per hour walker for most walks I do. This is also the length of my commute on the days I do walk it all!
So, to make it more exercise, than commute, I am trying to walk home faster and am hoping to get that to 50 minutes. It’s currently 56 minutes.
But you do so much! I’m in awe of your 20,000 steps a day. Some days I probably don’t make 1,500!
That’s the kind of number of steps where I started, 20 months ago! I’ve built up to the 20,000 in slow stages – 5000, 10,000 when I got Mr Doofer, 15,000 then 17,000 and finally 20,000. (Also with a Walk 500 miles challenge initially when it dawned on me I wasn’t far off that because I was recording mileage on a spreadsheet with the help of google maps prior to Mr Doofer’s arrival.)
I also was struggling to get out, resenting every step, until the day I realised the physical effort was helping in all kinds of ways and was becoming easier the more I did it.
Now, I definitely am horribly antsy on the days I don’t do enough, and anyone who knew me in real life more than two years ago is gobsmacked at the changes… especially those who remember how much effort I used to make to get out of any sort of physical activity at school!
Anything in the way of moving more will help – and I’ll cheer you on, all the way!!
😂
Thank you?! I’m not sure if your emoji is cryiong with mocking laughter at my efforts, weeping for the paucity of it, or joining in with sympathy!! Or just enjoying the LOL cats.
A little bit of all of those! Been there. so I know EXACTLY how you feel! I started exercising about 6 months ago after being sedentary for 20 years. I surprised my husband and myself (and probably my grown sons!) when I biked my first 7 miles. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was a huge personal achievement. 5 months later, I’m still plugging along, I ride 40-50 miles a week. I even do power yoga (HOT yoga) at least once a week, and I said I would NEVER do that! The changes have been slow in this 48 year old body, but I’m slowly bringing sexy back! I enjoy your posts so much
(you always get a chuckle out of me!) and I’m cheering you on from across the pond! ♥
We walk 5k every morning with the dogs and it works out at 6km an hour so fairly leisurely but I know I don’t feel right if I haven’t been for a walk. Can’t run more than 30metres without dying though!
I hope that maybe I’ll get to the point where it doesn’t feel right if I haven’t been for a walk – this is why I’d like a dog, but the 4 cats & Mr FD don’t agree. Still, I suppose it’s better to do a little sometimes, than nothing all the time.
Any walk is good. I suffer from anxiety and it helps to settle me. I have to say that watching my two loopy Weimaraners makes me smile too! Keep on walking….when you can. x
Good for you, purposing to walk more. I shall do the same!