Walking can your lupus in a great way to reduce the amount of stress on your mind and body. And help you with information that is one of the key triggers of lupus.

When you have pain or arthritis, the muscles around the painful joints begin to weaken, tighten up, and get smaller (atrophy). The muscle can become dysfunctional which in turn causes even more pain and disability. Regular strengthening exercises are vital in maintaining the strength of the muscles and to increase function and improve or retain a good quality of life.

How walking can help you cope with lupus

Walking is a great way to improve and maintain your health. 30 minutes a day can increase cardiovascular fitness, reduce excess body fat, strengthen bones, and boost muscle and endurance. It will also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis type 2 diabetes and cancer. Walking is free and doesn’t require any special equipment or training.

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Walking is low impact, great for the joints and requires minimal equipment, it also can be done any time of day and should be done at your own pace. You can walk without worrying about the risks associated with some more vigorous forms of exercise harmful for Lupus sufferers. Walking is a great form of exercise for people that are overweight, elderly, or who suffer from Lupus.

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Fun walking and fitness walking are not limited to strolling by yourself in the same area. Various walking clubs, gyms and strategies can be used to make walking enjoyable and a social part of your life.

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30 MINUTES WALKING A DAY

How to get the biggest health benefit is to try and walk at least 30 minutes as speedy you can most days of the week. This means to still chat but no singing, and you should be breathing heavier. Subtle activities like walking have next to no health risks.

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HOW WALKING IS HEALTHY

When walk you carry your own body weight when. The term used is weight-bearing exercise. Benefits include:

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• increased cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness for the heart and lungs

• reduced heart disease and stroke risks

• improved management of high blood pressure, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and Lupus symptoms

• strong bones and improve your balance

• increase muscle density and your endurance

• body fat reduction.

MAKING WALKING YOUR REGULAR EXERCISE

The joint pain associated with Lupus sometimes can cause great pain, if it gets too difficult to walk for 30 minutes, try and do regular small trips 5/10/15 minutes a few times per day and slowly build up your endurance levels. But if you have a goal to lose weight, you definitely will need to do more physical activity for longer than 30 minutes each day. You will still achieve this by starting with smaller spats of walking every day.

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Physical activity is also one of the most effective ways to assist with weight loss and keep weight off once it’s lost, with the added benefit of reducing symptoms from Lupus.

HAVE A ROUTINE

For example, walk at the same time every day and try to use the same amount of energy, whatever time of day you decide to walk, do what is most comfortable for your lifestyle. If you find that asking someone (friend, partner) to walk with you helps make the regular activity more endurable, ask. You will find that walking will also be enjoyable for them with the added benefit of fitness.

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WALKING WITH PEDOMETER

A pedometer measures the number of steps you take. You can use it to measure your movement throughout a day and compare it to other days or to recommended amounts. This may motivate you to move more. The recommended number of steps accumulated per day to achieve health benefits is 10,000 steps or more.

INTENSITY FOR WALKING​

There is not much difference between the amount of energy used by walking a kilometre or running a kilometre. It’s just that walking takes longer. Try and cover a set distance daily and track how long it takes you to walk this distance. When your fitness levels improve, you’ll be able to walk a longer distance and enabling you to use more energy.

Walking faster burns more energy per hour than walking slowly, but don’t push yourself until you’re breathless. Try to Instead, pace yourself, to begin with, so that you can still talk. This simple rule means that you walk safely within your target heart rate, which brings about health gains and won’t overstress the body bringing on Lupus attacks.

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Our bodies tend to get used to physical activity, so continue to increase your intensity as you are able to improve your fitness levels. You can increase the intensity of your walks by:

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• walking up hills

• walking with hand weights

• increasing your walking speed gradually by including some quick walking

• increasing the distance you walk quickly before returning to a moderate walking pace

• walking for longer.

COOLING DOWN AND WARMING UP

Warm-up is to walk slowly. Start walking at an easy pace to give your muscles time to warm up, and then pick up the speed. When you’ve finished, gently stretch your leg muscles, mostly the calves and front and back thighs. Stretching should be held for 20 seconds. If you get pain, ease off the stretching.

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It’s best to dress lightly when you do physical activity. Dressing too warmly can increase sweating and build up body temperature, which can make you uncomfortable during a walk or possibly cause skin irritations. A gradual cool-down will also prevent muscular stiffness and injury.

BEST FOOTWEAR

Walking is a low-cost and great form of exercise. But the wrong type of shoe or walking technique can cause foot or shin pain, blisters and injuries. Tr and make sure your walking shoes are comfortable and have appropriate heel and arch supports. Take light, easy steps and make sure your heel touches down before your toes. Whenever possible, walk on grass rather than concrete to help absorb the impact.

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WALKING WITH A DOG

A dog that needs regular exercise gives you the motivation to walk every day. You might like the companionship too. If you don’t have a dog and aren’t planning on getting one, consider offering to walk a neighbour’s dog from time to time.

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Suggestions for the safety of your dog and other people on foot include:

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• Be considerate of other pedestrians and always keep your dog on its leash.

• If you plan to walk in a park, check first to see if dogs are permitted. Many national and state parks and other conservation reserves do not permit dogs.

• Other parks generally permit dog-walking on a leash. Many parks allow dogs off the leash – check with your local council.

• Always take equipment such as plastic bags and gloves to clean up after your dog

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 WALKING FOR PLEASURE

These are suggestions that help make regular walking a pleasurable fun form of physical activity include:

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• varying where you walk

• walking the dog

• walking with friends

• joining a walking club.

Ways to keep your daily walk interesting include:

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• If you want to stick close to home and limit your walking to neighbourhood streets, pick different routes so you don’t get tired of seeing the same sights.

• If you feel unsafe walking alone, find one or more friends or family members to walk with.

• Walk at various times of the day. The sights to see first thing in the morning are bound to be different from those of the afternoon or early evening.

• Drive to different reserves, park the car and enjoy the views while you walk.

• Explore what’s going on around you, notice the sky, the people, the sounds.

WALKING TOGETHER

Walking with other people can turn a bout of exercise into an enjoyable social occasion. Suggestions include:

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• Have a regular walk with the family – it’s a great way to pass on healthy habits to your children or grandchildren, and to spend time together while getting fit at the same time.

• If you are walking with children, make sure the route and length of time spent walking are appropriate to their age.

• Babies and toddlers enjoy long walks in the pram. Take the opportunity to point out items of interest to young ones, such as vehicles, flowers and other pedestrians.

• Look for the self-guided nature walks that have been set up in many parks. Younger children enjoy looking for the next numbered post; older ones can learn about the plants and animals of the park, and perhaps take photos or record their experience in other ways.

• Ask neighbours or friends if they would like to join you on your walks. Think of starting a walking group.

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WALKING CLUBS

There are a number of walking clubs in metropolitan and regional Victoria. Some cater to specific groups (such as women, dog walkers or bushwalkers), while others offer the opportunity to meet new people in your local area. Organisations to contact for further information include:

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• Bushwalking Victoria – offers a comprehensive listing of bushwalking clubs.

• Your local council – may run a range of walking activities for people living in your area.

• Heart Foundation – offers the opportunity to join or start your own free walking group (for all ages and abilities, across Australia).

• The Lost Dogs Home in Melbourne – suggests you ‘get fit with a dog’. Contact them for more information about being a responsible dog owner.

• Parks Victoria – can provide suggestions and ideas for interesting walks in parks and reserves throughout Victoria.

BE SAFE WHILE WALKING

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Walking is generally a safe way to exercise, but look out for unexpected hazards. Suggestions include:

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• See your doctor for a medical check-up before starting a new fitness program, particularly if you are aged over 40 years, are overweight or haven’t exercised in a long time.

• Choose walks that suit your age and fitness level. Warm-up and cool down with a slow, gentle walk to ease in and out of your exercise session.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and appropriate footwear to avoid blisters and shin splints.

• Wear sunglasses, sunscreen, long sleeves and a hat to avoid sunburn.

• Take waterproof clothing to avoid getting wet if it rains.

• Carry a walking stick or umbrella to fend off unleashed, unfriendly dogs.

• Before bushwalking, check the weather forecast and take appropriate safety measures (for example, pack correct clothing).

• Look out for hazards in alpine or coastal areas, such as cliff edges or large waves.

• Drink plenty of fluids before and after your walk. If you are taking a long walk, take water with you.

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RECAP

• Walking for 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health.

• If you can’t manage 30 minutes a day, remember ‘even a little is good, but more is better’.

• Walking with others can turn exercise into an enjoyable social occasion.

• See your doctor for a medical check-up before embarking on any new fitness program, particularly if you are aged over 40 years, are overweight or haven’t exercised in a long time.