Many of the people I talk to, both members and non-members of our gym, have similar goals. For that matter, I think all humans want similar things. We want to feel good, look good, and share a connection to those around us.
I am here today to advocate for the easiest thing you can do move you towards better health. Walking. Just move more. Our fitness and nutrition coaches often recommend this seemingly simple suggestion as a way to help our members improve achieve their goals.
Walking, the most basic of human movements, does so many things that help improve our wellness. It improves cardiovascular health, reduces blood pressure, and improves circulation. Walking improves body composition because you are simply burning more calories throughout the day. When you walk, especially outdoors, it improves your mental health. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, symptoms of depression, and stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood boosters. Walking helps boost bone and joint heath by strengthening your bones and improving mobility. It also reduces the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis. Regular movement, like walking helps to increase energy levels and reduce fatigue as it enhances blood flow and oxygen supply to your muscles. Walking also helps promote better sleep quality and aids in the regulation of sleep patterns. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, walking stimulates brain activity, enhances creativity, and may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and diseases like dementia as we age.
So many benefits it's impossible to deny that walking is something we should all do. But how and when? I mean, we are all so busy with work, kids activities, and social commitments. How are we going to squeeze this into an already busy schedule? Like anything that matters to us, we have to be intentional. I'll give you a few personal examples.
I have two children, ages 8 & 10. They both play sports, have birthday parties, friends, and school activities. My wife and I are both self-employed, have family commitments, friends, church, and all the things. We are regular people. Because of this, we don't always get to work out like we want. We are doing pretty good to get in 3 workouts a week. There are times when we are sitting at soccer practice for an hour. Now we could sit in the car and scroll on our phones or pull out the lawn chair and just watch practice OR...we can walk. There's one hour. At a slow walking pace, you can typically cover 2-3 miles. Another example. My daughter recently started wrestling. Wrestling meets last the entire day on Saturdays from weigh-in to awards can be 12 hours. However, there is up to an hour or more between matches. So, I shot out the door and took a lap or two. Each tournament I got 6000-8000 steps throughout the day. One of the tournaments my wife and I were both there, so we got to spend some quality time together. Another bonus, sunlight. Vitamin D is critical to almost every cellular process in the body and it gets tougher to get in the winter months. Plus it just feels good.
It doesn't have to be this much. A 10 minute walk can go a long way. A quick walk after lunch or dinner helps aid digestion and prevents you from feeling so full. If you got three 10 minute walks in a day, you've racked up 30 minutes. If three times per day sounds like a lot, just do one. Start the habit slowly and build on it over time.
Improving your health doesn't come from making a dramatic shift and changing everything all at once. It is the compilation of many small habits added together over time that result in a healthy lifestyle. Do one thing today and just move.
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