Happy Feet

Happy Feet
            Broken wrist, broken ankle, several bad hamstring injuries, torn meniscus, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back injury, torn rotator cuff, arthritis in wrists, thumbs, elbows, knees, toes, fingers, hips. I’ve hit a few stumbling blocks over the years.
            One thing I’ve learned: If you want to keep moving, keep moving.
            Working around injuries always worked out better than totally stopping.
            Photo: Our family of four at the start of a long hike in Yosemite, which ended up being steep, snowy and slippery. Our hiking pal who took the photo was calling “nerd alert” on our lineup of hiking boots. Nerdy we may be, but making supportive shoes a priority has paid off over the years.
            Despite injuries, aches and pains, I still hike, swim, take dance, yoga, Pilates, and cardio/strength building fitness classes, and have had fun trying things like indoor rock climbing and kayaking. (Karate and scuba diving faded long ago.)
            Our feet support our entire body weight, and are key for good posture. Happy feet help us stay active and out in the world, which in turn boost our physical and mental well being.
            You don’t have to spend a lot of money to support your feet. Find shoes that are reasonably supportive. Check for a good fit. The slip-in arch/foot supports available at many stores can significantly improve a bargain pair of sneakers or shoes. We seem to burn through hiking shoes, so I watch for sales on good quality hiking boots.
            Keep moving. If your legs hurt, move your arms. If you can’t do weight bearing exercises, try swimming. No money or time for an outside fitness facility? Take a walk. Find matching-weight, graspable household items to use as arm weights (books, water bottles). If my 88 year old friend who has been through several back surgeries and uses a walker can still do water aerobics or walk a few blocks with her walker, the rest of us can find something. Our friends facing tougher physical challenges may need outside help to keep their bodies moving. Blood circulation and muscle maintenance is good for body and soul.
New this week:
            Due to a short hiatus from the office to visit family, the next new Hike Notes will appear next week. Readers looking for a hike can browse back through the 33 Hikes posted on hikingautism.com so far. Every hike is listed on the Hikes page, and also by general location on the Quick View Hike List.
            A hikingautism.com visitor who teaches classes for beginning hikers recently shared a handy link on efficient packing for longer excursion backpackers. The link has been added to the Links page. Thanks for the share, DS.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!