I've been hearing a lot about the benefits of walking barefoot, and barring that, wearing shoes like the Vibram Five Fingers or Nike Frees, which aren't padded. But are there cheaper alternatives? Wouldn't the lineup of Converse All-Stars and Puma shoes, to give two examples, have the same effect? Any others?
posted by dicetumbler on May 10, 2009 - 17 answers

I just had a doctor tell me I'm too heavy to run the Couch to 5k program. Is this really true? [more inside]
posted by aebaxter on Sep 18, 2007 - 62 answers

Is walking at your normal walking rate, but increasing the distance you walk, sufficient enough to be considered exercise? Can anyone recommend exercises for people who are very underconditioned and extremely obese, but not in poor cardiac health? And, finally, is there a medical professional who is the equivalent of a gym's personal trainer? (More inside.) [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 2, 2007 - 38 answers

Joggers, Hikers and Marathon walkers, your attention please! I love to walk, but experience troubles with chafing. For particularly long walks (5 hours and beyond), I used to use a product called Chafe Eez, manufactured by a now apparently defunct company called Second Wind. [more inside] [more inside]
posted by tomble on Dec 13, 2004 - 10 answers