Walking may be harmful

I am not a person who loves exercising, however, I was blessed not to have a overweight body. My only form of exercising, is, walking.

When I came upon this article at "10 Weird Things Walking Does to Your Body". I was shocked.

True enough, all forms of exercise will impose one or more kinds of problems to your body.
Why don't you think further, do you rather have your body stiff up and your arteries clog up due to lack of exercise?

Maybe we should address these 10 weird conditions:

1. Your Fingers Swell Up Like Sausages
• Hand swelling during exercising is a common problem. This is due to increase blood flow to lungs and heart, reducing blood flow to hands. However, it can be further reduced.
• Do you wear rings? Watches? Bands around your wrists? That explains it, all these causes fluid imbalances especially after a long walk. Loosen them or don't wear them!
• Doing finger stretching helps.
• If not, you better check if you have the rare problem called, "hyponatremia", this comes with other symptoms such as confusion and vomiting.


2. Your Feet Grow A Size During Your Walk
• Legs swelling due to vigorous walking, may be caused by Edema. Causes of edema are vast and include a poor diet, sodium retention, varicose veins, drug and laxative abuse, and trauma.
• If these problem are un-rectified, it can causes long terms problems like headaches, high blood pressure, weight gain or swelling in other body parts.
• However, it can be easily treated by elevating the legs, wearing compression socks, increasing exercise and improving your diet.
• For those who wear toe rings, please, this is the same concept of swollen hands, take them off!
• Your shoes are one size too small. Exercising should be done with comfortable sports shoes. You should get shoes of slightly bigger to cater for the slight swelling.
3. You Get a Weird Leg Heat Rash
• Some of these rashes are not itchy, some are.
• This is so, when our  veins are equipped with valves to ensure that blood flows only in one direction.
• This may a heavy-legged feeling as well as swelling, itching, a burning sensation and a change in skin colour. If you experience pain in your legs during or after walking, you should see the physician.
• However, this is can be eased by rising the legs, wearing compression socks and taking anti-inflammatory medication.
4. Your Nose Runs
• Because you breathe more, and faster and you are out there! So, what's in your environment that you are walking, you are breathing it!
• You may be allergic to pollen, smog (depending how polluted the environment is), or even something your neighbour is cooking!
• If you exercising in a controlled environment, like a gym, and you still have this problem, it could be the air-condition being too cold (or too hot), or their filters is already clogged or dirty!
• You could be suffering from rhinitis.
•  Symptoms such as allergic reaction symptoms such as congestion, sinus pain, runny nose, headaches, itchy eyes, asthma, hives or other rashes, and in rare cases, even anaphylaxis.
• Doctors will prescribe nasal spray. And off-the shelves, self medication such as Claritin and Zyrtec may help. May have short term side effects such as lost sense of smell


5. You Have to Poop - Badly!
• Exercise in general improves bowel movements. If you are doing your walks in places with no or little public toilets, then, you should wait half an hour after a meal before starting exercising.
• When you exercise, your body removes water from your colon, and hence hardening your stools. That's why the bad feeling of waiting to poop. Drink some water. BUT
• Don't drink too much water when walking, this cause the other effect. Stools too much softened.


6. You Get a Black Toenail - Or Lose it Completely
• Shoe too tight? Socks too tight? Remember in point 2? Legs get slightly bigger during and after exercising.
• Fungal Infection: This is no joke, visit the doctor.
• Lose the toenail? No worries, if it have to come off, let it be, Nature will replace your toenail in no time! 


7. You Chafe in Unmentionable Places
• Due to dried up sweat, creating salt crystals. Targeted at crotch, underarms and under-breast areas.
• Whatever you do, if itchy, DON'T SCRATCH!
• To prevent:
• Stay Hydrated (but not too much)
• Fitting, comfortable clothing. (Too tight, and too loose will cause the problem)
• Stay Dry (Using Talcum power or corn starch absorbs the moisture from your sweat)
• Lubricant (for between the clothing and skin, to lessen chances or abrasions)


8. Your Boobs Hurt
• Sports Bra!


9. Your Face Turns Purple
• Weather or exercising conditions too hot.
• Caused by faster circulation of blood.
• It's Normal, let it be! So what if you look like the characters in "Avatar"?


10. You Get Itchy
• You started with too much exercise! Start slow!
• Temporary solution: Anti-itch cream.
• You may have dry skin: using lotion, oil helps.
• Poor blood circulation: See doctor if this itch causes pain.
• Hives: Use Cold packs/baths, use sunscreen if outdoors

So get up and do some walking! And slowly build up your distance, not few kilometres or miles in first round and to your limits, please!