I previously wrote about micro walks, or the way I was breaking exercise down into manageable ten-minute segments. But my bursitis (knees and Achilles heel) was often still giving me problems afterwards. The bursitis sites would get red, hot, and really painful, making it difficult to maintain a daily walking routine.
Since I got a wearable fitness device, I have been able to slowly increase the amount of exercise I am getting per day by doing what I’m calling nano walks. (Breaking my exercise down into even smaller segments.) My device is set to remind me to get a minimum number of steps per hour for nine hours of the day. I have found that breaking up the exercise into *even smaller* chunks than I was previously doing is enabling me to get more total exercise per day without my bursitis getting inflamed or sore. I still have to be careful not to exceed too many steps per day total and not to do too many steps at once, as that will cause my bursitis to flare and set me back. But I am learning my limitations and experimenting with types of increases to determine what my body will and won’t tolerate.
My world has gotten even smaller, as I walk around my house or yard to get the hourly steps rather than around my neighborhood. But I get beneficial exercise and I get out of the house to see what’s going on outdoors.
On the one hand, it takes more cumulative time than one or two micro walks a day, but on the other hand, it takes less preparation and less time all at once. For me, it seems to be easier to sprinkle it throughout the day than to carve out time for a longer walk. And even if I miss a segment or two during the day, I can make up for it during a later hour (after the designated nine hours) in order to get enough steps for my daily goal range.
I have determined a range of total steps, bounded on the low end by meeting my minimum goal (steps per hour x 9 hours) and on the high end by my bursitis, and I vary my total within that range by day, depending on how my body is feeling that day. And if I’m having a really bad day, I don’t stress about meeting my hourly or daily goals at all.
Pacing myself every day, and resting on the days when my body needs more rest, is enabling me to have more days when I can exercise and more total exercise.
Crew Dog, onesickvet.com
So breaking up my exercise into even smaller chunks and pacing myself is working pretty well for me. I guess I can modify the exercise mantra “Low and Slow” to “Low, Slow, and Nano!”
Have you tried breaking up your exercise routine into micro or nano segments? What has worked for you? (And what hasn’t?) Please comment below.