Every New Surface is a New Challenge

                              
  
             

I left Dr Cory's office at Arizona Institute of Motion that day in March with lots to think about.  His  statement "Every new surface is a new challenge" brought back the words of  Dr. May from 50 years earlier. "Go to the beach and walk the sand as much as you can".  

I had gone to California in February and walked the beach. I was done with physical therapy, was using the gym and the pool daily so walking on the sand should be a breeze.  The soft sand was easier than the packed sand for sure. I was barefoot, a new experience and the packed sand did not allow for any flexibility. I was unsteady and tired easily. The soft sand allowed my foot to be more flexible and I made it to the water's edge. My balance was definitely a problem and I was thankful for my supportive friend to lend a hand. I walked the beach twice. The second day seemed a bit easier but maybe that was just what I imagined. Anyway California is 6 hours from Phoenix so walking on sand consistently was not going to happen but it definitely was a new surface and definitely had been a new challenge! 

The next morning I prepared for my walk with a new outlook.  I was going to look for new surfaces to walk on. I also wanted to see if I could feel the difference.

Note: I wear walking shoes that have a very light sole. They are supportive but they are not meant for hiking and they do not have a thick sole as some of the walkers do. My shoes do have a padded insole for comfort. When I was working out at the gym a gentleman was talking to me about building muscles in my feet. Standing on the rubber dome and moving back and forth. This was best accomplished with the lighter sole and so I switched. So to be able to feel the different surfaces and feel your muscles working I prefer the lighter sole. 

My walk begins walking down my slanted driveway.  The driveway was always a surface challenge even on the knee scooter. The slant is just enough to challenge my ability to walk straight down or walk straight back up. I had been doing it more sideways to lessen the downward motion. That was the first day I realized going straight up and straight down would be a surface challenge but worth it in the long run. And so it began. 

I had taken a left at the end of my street to go uphill. I hadn't been walking on the sidewalk because the sidewalk slants down when crossing a driveway and that wasn't comfortable. That morning it became clear to me.  If I walked on the sidewalk and across the slant of the driveway, that would be a different surface then walking on the asphalt and even more so if I walked on the sidewalk/driveway on my way home it would be yet another surface because the slant would be affecting the other leg.  Hmm this was going to be interesting. 

The next area I saw was landscape stone. Walking on the landscape stone involved uneven surfaces some with just the stones some with pine needles, some areas with dirt but all felt different to the touch. 

It is amazing to me how many different surfaces I have found over the past few months. Did you know there is new asphalt, patched asphalt, and rocky asphalt?  There is green seeded lawns and artificial lawns.  There are sidewalk curbs and slanted curbs.  There are even sidewalks, sidewalks that slant to the left or right or up or down.   There is sandy areas, sandy areas with rock, and just rock. And my favorite area is gravel.  

There is an area where I walk that actually has some deep gravel. (picture above). It is used for a turn around at this point, nothing more, but the combination of the gravel and the tire treads make for some great walking. I can feel my feet manipulate the ups and downs and I have found if my feet are tired from walking on the pavement, walking in the gravel or softer dirt areas are more soothing as I move on.   I have created a loop in this gravel area. I can feel the most changes in my feet here. Walking over the tire treads and walking in the deep gravel is a lot like walking on the loose sand on a beach. All muscles are a go and balance is important. 

Clearly different muscles are at work going up hill, going down hill, slanting to the right, slanting to the left, walking on varied asphalt, landscape rock, lawn, and gravel. Of course nothing beats walking on a sandy beach with the salt air and waves crashing but that's for another time. 

For now the challenge of finding new surfaces keep the walks interesting while building strength one step at a time. 

In my next post I will talk about how to know whats'working and what's not and how to gain the motivation to, as an individual, to make this happen with no gym #nogymnoproblem and no physical therapist telling you what to do #creativePT.  #Yes You Can


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