Started walking a lot and have a question

[LisaAC]

Ok, so I've been walking, on and off, for quite some time with a friend of mine when she walks her dogs. Well, this week I started walking more on my own. I did about 1 1/2 miles in 33 minutes to the local mall with my son (1 1/2 up and 1 1/2 back) Did that twice this week, have been walking about twice a day but not the same place every time. Mostly I walk about 20 - 30 minutes in the morning too when I'm not walking to the mall with my son in the evening.

I'm not really sore or anything, but I've noticed something I've not really noticed before (and I've been walking for years)and that's like I'm feeling it in my ribs (that muscle group). Is that usual for you to feel the tightening,so to speak, in that area. It's been helping my back greatly, but never thought of the rib area. I'm actually feeling quite great so, so far, it's agreeing with me. Just was wondering about the rib area tightening feeling.

[Patty47200]

Thats great that it is working for you. I started walking everyday about 5 months ago. I try and walk 45 to 50 minutes. I don't know if it has helped with weightloss, but it has made my blood pressure return to normal. It is getting hard to walk now because it gets dark so early and it is cold and dark in the morning. I tried to walk on a treadmill but I found it so unbeliveably boring.

[tilnxtthur]

Is that usual for you to feel the tightening,so to speak, in that area. It's been helping my back greatly, but never thought of the rib area.

We use our abdominal muscles quite a bit when we walk, and now that you're concentrating more on your walking and doing it for longer duration, you're starting to feel/notice the results! Congratulations! =)

I've felt the pull there before too - if your back is not terribly bad, you may want to try (once you're warmed up a bit) gently stretching backwards while holding onto a doorway for support to stretch the muscles out a bit and see how that feels. I loooovee gently stretching my sore muscles, feels like I'm giving them a treat =)

[LisaAC]

Thanks. I never really thought about it working out the abdominal muscles before and I used to walk a lot when I was a teenager. Loved walking around the block where I lived.

I had noticed my back feels better when I walk though. I noticed that the first time my mom and I went to Walt Disney World in the later 1980's. My back was bothering me when we'd gotten there via bus trip, but I noticed that after all the walking that on the way back home a few days later that my back was feeling so much better. So I knew that part was good for the back, but never realized just how many muscles walking actually does work.

Oddly enough though, I've seen some wierd changes since I started walking this Monday. I'm guessing it's from water weight because I've gained 4 pounds since Monday and my eating habits haven't changed, in fact I'm eating a little less.

Another thing I've noticed is that my waist is now one inch bigger. lol I'm finding this all amusing because you're supposed to loose inches and weight, not gain it because of walking. I am sure it's all water weight, plus the fact I'm slowly starting to build muscle and it's heavier than fat. I am sure I'll see a difference after a few weeks.