I'm Walkin', Yes Indeed...

I have done a lot of walking over the years since the accident. It started in physical therapy and continued at home after my therapy ended. I still do a lot of the things that they had me doing in therapy and I find that it all helps me to use the various muscles in my legs. The first thing that they had me doing involved walking sideways, but doing so between the parallel bars for safety. I still walk sideways for a certain distance daily and I feel that I still benefit from it. I also walk backwards quite a bit and that also seems to work on different muscles in my leg. Additionally, I walk for a certain distance doing leg lifts with each step, and I also “trot” for roughly 300 steps daily. I can’t really run, but I can trot fast enough to escape slow moving zombie hordes, should the need ever arise.

I wear a Fitbit device to log my steps in order to make sure that I’m covering the necessary distance each day. I sometimes don’t wear it for weeks at a time because I’m fairly consistent in my walking, but I do use it often enough nonetheless. This may sound strange, but I never leave my house to do my daily walking routine. Although my leg has grown stable over time, I remain paranoid that something will happen to make me fall while away from the house alone and I’ll have to call 911 for help. Silly, right?

There is a set route within my house that I follow, and it has become so familiar to me that I sometimes read while walking without bumping into anything or missing a step. I usually walk a minimum of five miles daily and a maximum of seven or eight miles (closer to seven). My Fitbit came programmed with a minimum daily goal of 10,000 steps but I eventually changed it to 11,400, which is the equivalent of five miles. I’m always barefooted when I do my walking throughout the house, and it has caused a bit of a hindrance with my ability to walk longer distances while wearing shoes. I guess that most things in life are a matter of habit.

Remaining consistent with my walking has been a vital part of my recovery from the injuries caused by the motorcycle accident. My leg is no longer improving, but I believe strongly that it will not get worse as I remain faithful to my exercise routine. Consistency is crucial.