Peter’s Advance7 Review — Back Walking the Great Orme

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live on my own these days, just me and Charlie. He was my son’s originally — Tom moved out to Dubai for work and asked if I’d take him on. He’s been with me four years now and we’ve become great mates. Wherever I go, he comes too. Bit of a routine, really. He keeps me on the move whether I like it or not.

What was the trouble?

Mainly knees and hips. Stiff when I set off, worse if I went too far. And my feet had started giving me a bit of grief too — soles aching at the end of a walk, like I’d been on stones. I put it down to my age and got on with it for too long.

How did that affect you day to day?

I started cutting walks short. You set off thinking you’ll do the usual loop, and then halfway round you take the shortcut home. I didn’t always realise I was doing it. Charlie would notice before I did — he’d hesitate at the turning, looking at me as if to say, “Are we really going that way again?”

Was there a particular walk you were missing?

Yes, over the Great Orme. Proper walk, bit of incline, lovely views once you’re up. We’d done it together every Sunday for years. I’d stopped doing it altogether by about the middle of 2024. That bothered me more than I let on. It felt like I was giving something up that mattered.

How did you come across Advance7?

A neighbour mentioned it. He’d had problems with his knees after a fall, said it had made a real difference. He brought a tube round one afternoon — wouldn’t take no for an answer.

What was your first impression?

I put it on before our morning walk, both knees and hips. It had a slight tingle going on, not strong, just a warmth. By the time we’d been out ten minutes I noticed I wasn’t quite as stiff as usual. Wasn’t bracing myself going down the kerb, that sort of thing.

Did the after-effect change too?

That was the bigger one, actually. Normally I’d come home and need to sit for a good hour. With this, I’d come in, sort Charlie out, make a brew, and feel fine. Just fine. That hadn’t happened in a long time.

What about the foot cream?

I started on the foot cream a bit later. I rub it in at night after a hot bath. The feet were the bit I’d almost given up on — I just assumed that was old age and there was nothing to be done. After a couple of weeks I realised I wasn’t waking up with sore soles in the morning. That alone was worth it.

Are you back doing the Great Orme?

I am. We’ve been doing it again most Sundays for over a year now. There’s a day or two where Charlie’s looked at me as if to suggest we go round twice. I haven’t quite agreed to that yet, but I’m not ruling it out.

How does it fit into your week now?

The gel goes on before every walk — tube lives by the back door. Foot cream at night, after a bath. Two minutes total, between the pair of them.

Would you recommend it?

Without question. I tell anyone who’ll listen down at the dog field. If you’re cutting your walks short and you don’t want to be, this is the answer. Charlie agrees, in his own way.