Go for a walk in the great indoors

There are warm, dry alternatives to weather-impacted outdoor exercise

The idea of indoor walking may sound odd at first.

For some seniors, however, indoor walking may be their only opportunity to exercise. My initial reaction to this idea was to say, ‘Without fresh air, what’s the point?’ It took a while, but eventually, I came around to appreciating the health benefits of regular indoor walking.

One surprise I discovered from trying it out was to recognize that, as a bonus, my brain was also being stimulated. And you don’t have to do this at home.

ARENAS

Once retired, I decided to explore arena walking. Such centers are common in many communities and most are operated by the local civic authority, the YMCA, or colleges. In Canada, they often include an ice rink. Most have a walking track and changing facilities. A published schedule of availability ensures access to the track by seniors.

On arrival at an arena in winter, walkers change into sneakers to walk on the track, which runs behind the topmost level of the seating. In most cases, the track is usually divided into two: the outer half for runners and the inner half for walkers. Also, arena rules require all walkers and runners head in the same direction.

After a couple of warm-up circuits, walkers can remove their coats, hats and gloves. Each senior chooses how long they want to walk. My wife and I find an hour’s walk is the sweet spot. Walking slowly on the last circuit of the track helps our body temperatures to cool down before donning coats and boots to leave the area.

One winter’s day, we drove to an ice rink in Dartmouth for our daily walk. We were surprised to see an older lady arrive, get out of her wheelchair and push it around the track. The regular walkers were impressed. When a hockey game started on the ice, she immediately stopped walking and decided to take in the entire match with great interest.

Unless arriving at the rink with a companion, seniors tend to focus solely on their walking. At the same time, seniors enjoy socializing at arenas, which have concessions as well. Soup, sandwiches, coffee and tea are usually available. Sometimes seniors will use this opportunity to relax and begin chatting with fellow walkers.

SHOPPING MALLS

For daily walkers, shopping malls provide a walking alternative on bad weather days. Often accessible by city bus, they are understandably much used for walking in the winter months. A common way for mall walkers to access malls is by car. In bad weather, they park as close to the mall entrance as is practical, leaving caps, heavy clothing and boots in the car.

A mall’s shape determines how suitable it is for recreational walking. A rectangular-shaped mall, for example, works better than a strip mall.

More than one level increases the length and variety of the walking circuit. A three-level mall can divide the walk into three 20-minute portions, each with its own range of shop windows and people.

The longer we walk, the warmer our bodies become, especially while wearing winter clothing. Also, warm air tends to rise. Putting these factors together it could be argued that, in a three-level mall, a one-hour walk will be completed most comfortably by first walking on the top level for 20 minutes, dropping down to the slightly-cooler second level for the next 20 minutes and then down to the main level for the final 20 minutes.

A bonus for mall walkers is easy access to the mall’s cafeteria for an after-walk snack and chat with fellow walkers.

Alastair MacLeod lives in Dartmouth, N.S. A retired dentist, he is currently a young 87-year-old. When a kid, the author was encouraged by his dad to accompany him on countryside walks. As a result, Alastair has walked for exercise throughout his life. This column is based on his forthcoming book, Super Seniors.