Getting into "Disney" shape

[Dislover1991]

My mom has foot issues and doesn't really walk too much exercise wise so she had some issues at Disney. I'm a nurse, on my feet 12 hours per shift, plus I work out on my days off so I had no issues. I'd say no special exercising is needed except walking.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I work our regularly with Insanity, jogging and weight training. I will start taking walks a month or two before in the NJ summer to get myself prepared for walking in the heat.

My kids have never complained about walking at Disney.

Now this will be my first trip with SO. He's thin and in good shape...naturally. He doesn't exercise much and sits a lot at work. He may need to start walking a few months before the trip.

 

[jason10mm]

Make sure you walk on concrete or some other hard surface. That is what gets you at disney, as well as all the standing. Shoes and walking on a soft surface can be very different than unyielding concrete. Chair-bound office warriors need a lot of training to deal with standing all day, the walking is almost incidental.

 

[Becky14]

Nothing. We live in a city and we're car free, so we're used to walking a lot every day.

 

[kerplop]

Make sure you walk on concrete or some other hard surface. That is what gets you at disney, as well as all the standing. Shoes and walking on a soft surface can be very different than unyielding concrete. Chair-bound office warriors need a lot of training to deal with standing all day, the walking is almost incidental.

People at work think I'm nuts, but in prep for Disney any time I'm on the phone at my desk (which is probably 2-3 hours a day broken up to about 20 minute conversations) I stand up and take calls. I found in our trips that yes the walking is vital (we do 3 miles every day now), the standing is what really kills us and our feet.

 

[lustergirl]

We've never done any special conditioning for our Disney trips, for ourselves or our children. Unless you are couch potatoes or have health issues (general you) it shouldn't be hard to walk the parks. We are 'average' - no special scheduled exercises, but are usually on the go - have never felt too tired at Disney except for the heat if we're out most of the day. We usually walk an average of 8-10 miles with no problems. The main thing, as has been stated, is to have comfortable walking shoes (broken in) - no sandals or flip flops for us - have never had 'feet' issues. Good luck!

What works for you doesn't work for everyone. I am in okay shape and exercise alot but have trouble walking that amount each day at disney.I combat that by taking breaks

 

[JosieMouse]

My husband wanted to do this for our June trip. Glad to know we aren't the only ones.

 

[bluezy]

We find that a combination of the right footwear; taking breaks (at a show or just sitting while we have a meal or a snack); and taking care of our feet, knees, and back at the end of each day works best for us.

Our family prefers fairly new but broken in athletic shoes for long days in the parks. They provide the support and cushioning that our feet need. We each bring at least 2 pair and don't wear the same ones 2 days in a row. We also usually have sandals for walking around the resort.

While we tend to try and get a lot accomplished during our days in the park, we naturally have some down time each day as well as we enjoy our meals, shows, or just a little people watching on a bench. While we walk several miles every day when we're at Disney, it's not like we're running a marathon and have to be in constant motion or finish in a certain amount of time.

Lastly, I always take a tennis ball on our trips to use as a rolling massager under my feet at the end of the day. I put the ball on the floor and roll it under my bare feet for a few minutes. It really helps to massage those tired muscles. Then I massage my feet with peppermint foot lotion and put on some comfy socks. I also take Aleve or Motrin every day we're there to help with the aches and pains caused by being on my feet so much every day.

We've found these things to work better for us than doing any type of "training" before a trip. We did the conditioning training for the first 2 trips but still had aching painful body parts at the end of each day. It took some trial and error, but we finally figured out what works best for us: good shoes, breaks, pampering, and OTC pain meds.

 

[cmpeter]

We've found these things to work better for us than doing any type of "training" before a trip. We did the conditioning training for the first 2 trips but still had aching painful body parts at the end of each day. It took some trial and error, but we finally figured out what works best for us: good shoes, breaks, pampering, and OTC pain meds.

That's what works for us too. Also, a nice foot soak in the tub or pool at the end of the day helps.