Walking slowly makes me tired

I noticed this first in museums, and now it's coming up in birdwatching. Walking slowly for a couple of hours makes me exhausted.

I'm not an athlete but I'm quite fit. I don't own a car, so I walk (fast), Xootr or cycle everywhere I go. I carry home virtually everything I buy.

On my last group birdwatching venture, someone actually asked if I was okay (I was, but I was fading).

Anyone have ideas? Is this some metabolic state, or is it just me? I am actually avoiding birding with other people (it's city birding, so I can Xootr when I'm alone).

Pam

I'll be curious to see responses to this, too, because I have the same experience. I can hike for a few hours before feeling fatigued, but 1-2 hours in a museum wipes me out.

I think this is pretty universal! I was in a PhD program for art history, so I spent way too much time in museums with other people who also spent way too much time in museums and we all had the same experience no matter what our level of fitness.

A couple of weekends ago I was working at a horse jumping event and my job was to go around with the photographer taking pictures in the sponsor tent. I spent nearly nine hours walking slowly that day and was nearly dead.

The only thing I can think that helps (temporarily) is to stop and stretch from time to time and then move fast for a while--jog in place or do some jumping jacks if there's no space to cover territory quickly.

Sarah

I think its the feet. 1 hr of walking slowly/standing, and my feet and lower legs hurt.

My life is like yours...we don't have car, so I cycle, take transit or walk.

Have you had your iron levels checked?

I'm not at all bothered by walking around for several hrs. in museums or galleries. I never have been but I'm a lover of such places.

Whereas my dearie finds many public buildings and office buildings exacerbate his sinus problems and literally might cause him headaches, make him tired/sleepy. For those with engineering background, some buildings are not properly constructed,.."tight building syndrom" with proper fresh air ventilation, circulation. Dearie actually can't stand air-conditioned buildings. It exhausts him abit and causes these other symptoms.

Finally for myself, after doing alot of cycling for past few years, I sometimes get BORED of walking long distances. ie. over 5 kms. Especially if the pedestrian scenery is boring and the route is totally flat. I itch to get onto a bike..to get to my destination faster and in a more freewheeling way.

Snowshoeing is different because one has to pay attention to placement of feet onto surfaces/grades, etc. and weather conditions along with changing scenery.

I have been using customized orthotics for past 10+ years in my athletic shoes and boots.

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

I'll be curious to see responses to this, too, because I have the same experience. I can hike for a few hours before feeling fatigued, but 1-2 hours in a museum wipes me out.

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Me, too! For one thing, walking slowly kills my back. I have to bend down to periodically to touch my toes so that my hamstrings get a good stretch. Hiking or walking quickly keeps my hamstrings stretched out more and my lower back doesn't hurt as much.

For another, I think my mind just starts to glaze over and it makes me feel tired. I can only take museums in small doses, and even then, I'd rather be outside. It took three trips to Paris before I ventured into the Louvre.

I imagine some of it has to do with blood flow, too. Walking quickly gets the blood going, while standing and/or walking slowly does not.

Me three!

Shopping, museums, ugh! Its exhausting. I'd rather do 12 miles carrying a 30 lb pack on a trail then spend all day "slow walking".

Yep, me too. But I think it's the flat terrain and repetitive movement that's to blame, not the speed (apart from it being boring in addition). I can bike 2-3 hrs every single day, or hike all day, but a day's Christmas shopping will kill me.

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Originally Posted by limewave

Me three!

Shopping, museums, ugh! Its exhausting. I'd rather do 12 miles carrying a 30 lb pack on a trail then spend all day "slow walking".

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Shopping by walking around for several hrs., is dang boring to me now.
I enjoy hiking but never with heavy backpacks.

I've always had a long-term interest in art (and when I get my *** to moving, do some of it)..we in fact have done several cycling art studio tours on our own. I will seek out major art galleries and museums in the cities that I visit.

Certain historic eras of certain countries interest me. ie. history of the New England states interest me more..than Lewis and Clark expedition stuff.

yep, that's why i hate shopping!

Add me to the list. When my Mum was alive, she used to love to tell people how she could "out walk" me. I'd point out that she can "out stroll" me. I can power walk forever. But dang that strolling wears me out. :)

I have this problem too...or at least, I do now. A day in 'shopping mode' is more exhausting than a day of working on our farm! This never used to be the case for me, though. I used to work in retail, so I'd spend 5-6 days a week for 9-10 hours on my feet and basically walking slow. I was used to it. I'm not anymore (thank goodness!).

I really think it comes down to conditioning. Walking slowly is a totally different way of using your muscles than walking fast, or jogging, or hiking, or biking. I think that if you did it every day, you'd get used to it and it wouldn't tire you out as much.

I can't help with the boredom factor though! ;)

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

yep, that's why i hate shopping!

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++++1

WOW! I have always hated to shop. It is sooo exhausting. Now I know why. Thanks everyone. :D bikerHen

What you all said for sure, but I think posture has a lot to do with it as well. If you're a pronator who tends to lean forward while standing, then you're really stressing your back body when you're not moving fast enough that your forward lean is an advantage.

That's me, anyway.

Plus, in the specific case of museums and galleries, there's the fact that your brain uses something like 80% of the calories your body burns, and vision uses more than any other sense. Looking at stuff all day is exhausting - even if you're sitting down.

I would like to say that I am a born saunterer. :D

I don't like to walk slowly, but I don't think it bothers me. As for shopping/museum visits making me tired, well sometimes my feet will start hurting from standing, but I don't feel exhausted. I don't spend many days shopping all day, anyway. Most of my stuff is bought on line, but when I do go to a store, I am on a "mission" and I make my purchases fairly quickly. I've always been like this. I don't hate shopping, but I don't spend a lot of time pondering, deciding, comparing.
We are members of the MFA, so I make about 5-7 museum visits a year when the new exhibits open. We always go through so much more quickly than the others. I mean, I look and enjoy, but I am not sure why or how some stand and look at a piece of art work for like five minutes. I do read the information by each piece, but I don't ever get the headphones for the "tour." I'm usually more interested in the meal we go to get afterwards.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Plus, in the specific case of museums and galleries, there's the fact that your brain uses something like 80% of the calories your body burns, and vision uses more than any other sense. Looking at stuff all day is exhausting - even if you're sitting down.

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Very interesting replies. OakLeaf's comment might explain why I crashed while birdwatching. I do think I'll try some stretches or a bit of fast walking next time.

Not that I'm glad others have this problem, but at least it's not just me.

Pam

The only thing worse than strolling while bird watching is in-and-out of the car bird watching. That will really wear me out. Please tell me I have a 10 mile hike instead of a bird route that's got 20 stops on it!

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

The only thing worse than strolling while bird watching is in-and-out of the car bird watching. That will really wear me out. Please tell me I have a 10 mile hike instead of a bird route that's got 20 stops on it!

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Oh yeah LOL. Stow the reading glasses, get the bird books out of your lap, find a place for them, get the binoculars out of your lap and put 'em around your neck, get out of car, look at birds, get back in car, put stuff back in lap, get out reading glasses, repeat, repeat, repeat... :p