Brown_Eyed_Girl:
The benefit to walking on uneven surfaces is that it activates other muscles in your feet, legs, and core providing a more varied and comprehensive workout than walking on the same flat terrain does. Even though I’ve argued that hardness of surface does not preclude comfortable walking, I do agree that more pliable terrain does reduce fatigue, especially for those of who are accustomed to walking around with cushioning under foot or have physical impairments that alter function.
But if the mall is your milieu, adapt your footwear for optimal comfort or allow time for physical adaptation to reduce that discomfort while paying attention to acute pain that does not stem from muscle fatigue. Answer that with adjustments to either surface, frequency/duration of exercise, physical form and/or footwear. Also, a good pair of noise-isolating earbuds and your favorite music or nature sound tracks would solve the ambient noise problem. At least you don’t have to worry about listening for traffic or animal hazards in the mall.
I listen to audiobooks and I do have good headphones.
Your posts are helpful and informative.
I didn’t want to say that because I was afraid people would tell me I was just imagining it. But yes. I experienced a difference between walking on asphalt and concrete or brick.
(Walking on uneven surfaces is also better for some kind of balance difficulties)