Mad about walking

[syaigh]

So, got a new dog who actually walks really fast. And its killing me. Not cardio-wise, but my hips are absolutely wrecked. Been still doing the weight training, I'm actually in really good shape for throwing, light lifting, and running, but walking is just killing me. Mostly my glute medius I think? (and it tracks down the IT band into my knee and keeps going down into my shins) Gets to where I have to hold the railing going down stairs or my right knee gives out. Just took her for a 4 mile walk and I am in agony. It goes up into the top of my glutes and a little low back. I know I need an adjustment, but seriously. Anyone else experience this?

[Alfred_E._Neuman]

Piriformis? I know some people have their sciatic nerve running through the piriformis and if it gets tight it'll give sciatic pain that's similar to what you're describing.
I've been dealing with an issue with my right glute/hip and have been going to a really good PT for the last few weeks and she's sorting it out.
What's worked well:
Hip stretch where you lay on your back, knees bent with feet just in front of glutes. Cross left leg over right and drop knees to the left, using left leg to help pull right glute med/hip into a stretch. Hold 10 sec and release, repeat 10x per side.

90/90 stretch x 15 per side.

Yoga Cowface pose. Works very similar to the first hip stretch above.

Clamshells with a Theraband around the knees. Lay on side, propped up on elbow, knees bent to ~90 degrees in front with feet in line with hips and shoulders. Using glute med on both sides raise up on bottom knee so hips are in line with shoulders or a bit above and open top knee as far as possible. Slightly push hips forward as you come up to really activate the glute med. I put my thumb on the top muscle so I can feel it work and help with focus so I don't cheat. 10 x per side x 2 sets.

Single let RDLs with light KBs. 10 x per side x 2 sets.

Partial reverse lunge: Step back with one leg and reach back and across while coming into a partial single leg squat. If working on right leg, step left leg back and to the right without putting weight on the back foot (just touching for balance). Try to reach fairly far across with the back leg. 10 x side x 2 sets.

Hope this helps. Hip pain sucks.

[Sangoma]

I heard lots of stories about walking healing lots of problems. Usually it's people going on really long walks - tracks along the West or East coast of USA, for example. In the first several days everything flares up, then gets itself sorted. My experience with hiking (day walks) is similar. Maybe this is what's happening to you.

Few weeks ago I came across the book by Pete Egosque, Pain Free, on chronic pain. He is a physio, and his method focuses on healing musical-skeletal system by correcting the posture and restoring proper patterns of movement. I haven't tried it yet, but lots of people swear by it. Definitely worth having a look. The only problem is that his "prescriptions" are pretty time consuming. Below are some videos of the method, though I think getting the book or consulting an Egosque practitioner is a better idea.

[syaigh]

Thanks guys. I apreciate it. I was a breech baby and born with slightly dislocated hips. Apparently they need more attention than I've been giving them.

[Fat Cat]

Personally, walking is one of my favorite activities and I don't really log it as exercise, except in passing. For example I walk for 30 minutes at lunch and don't even record it. Walking four or five miles should be very easy and if it's not, or if it causes you discomfort afterward, I would definitely look into it and also incorporate more walking on a daily or near daily basis. It's also a great way to relax, manage weight, and stay in touch with your neighborhood.

[motherjuggs&speed]

For myself, I have found that long walks have strongly negative effects. I say that after a lifetime of long walks. I now think that they worked against me in the following ways --

Downregulation of energy. Just as a practical matter, I adapted to long walks but did not have the oomph for the higher energy bursts I needed.

It made me more reflective and less able (willing?) to see the truth. For example I spent an entire summer's worth of long nighttime walks contemplating a question that could have, should have been answered in five seconds. Maybe for someone who is way to the other end of the active--contemplative distribution long walks might be good.

They ate up energy that could have been spent on other things, both trainingwise and otherwise.

I rationalized them as a being worthwhile activity, in fact I strongly regretted not doing them when I didn't do them for a while, but putting them back in did nothing positive that I could see and let me say "at least I walked."

Maybe get the dog to walk slower?

[Dietrich Buchenholz]

If walking is a problem, you're doing it wrong.