Walk, walk, and more walk. If you get a little lax on your exercise plan (and most of us do!) keep trying to squeeze in the walking. I think that what matters is time on your feet, although distance of course is a factor. As others have said, you’re going to spend time standing. I would measure exercise by time instead of distance.
Also, if you plan to wear a pack of any kind, might want to take that on your walks to be sure it doesn’t surprise any untested muscles once you really use it. Even a light pack will pull you this way and that, and can make you quite sore if your body is unprepared for it. In my area of the country, one often sees people out for their evening walks with backpacks on, it’s just a different stress on the body.
I second this. I began my yoga practice 8 years ago and it was one of the best choices I have ever made. I thought I was in very good physical shape at the time, but I am now in better shape 8 years later and I attribute the change to yoga.
Me too, but I have an easy out. DH is one of those people who likes carrying backpacks around. He’s a Scout leader who is very serious about the whole “be prepared” thing.
He could survive in the wilds of AK for weeks on just his wits and the contents of that backpack.
For the first couple months I went once a week to a local yoga studio and worked with an instructor privately who could teach me proper form. I wanted to make sure I understood proper form for the basic poses so I didn’t hurt myself. After I understood the proper form, I started going to group classes once a week and created a yoga routine (based on the poses I learned) for me to do myself at my house a couple times a week. And if I am in a class and there is a pose that isn’t feeling good to me, I stop and do my own thing while the rest of the class is in the pose. For me, the point of yoga is to help my body feel better, not to compete with others in the class and risk injury.
