Walking on Sunshine
“But the beauty is in the walking - we are betrayed by destinations.” ~Gwyn Thomas
As summer slowly shifts and reveals hints of fall, going outside is a pleasant experience for most of us. This is the time when we can go out for a short mind-clearing walk, enjoy a brisk walk with a good friend, plan a family hike on a friendly trail, or take the kids for a fun exploration of the outdoors in the park (just be careful of the puddles!).
Walking has such a range from gentle, meditative to casual for daily errands to rigorous and fast-paced. It benefits people from all generations and walks of life. It makes a significant contribution to prenatal health and fitness. In addition, it can help ease labor pains and help bring down the baby for birth. It is a wonderful, healing activity for mothers just starting their postpartum recovery and return to movement as well as seniors maintaining their vitality, stamina, and mental clarity.
For those seeking a more rigorous workout, it can be combined with jogging for a low-impact (and perhaps eccentric-looking but fun) version called “wogging”. Or I encourage my favorite pastime, the liberating and joyful “dance walking”, where we let the music guide our movement along the path. Always remember to breathe deeply and wear comfortable, supportive shoes to prevent discomfort and injury.
Besides the obvious pleasures of taking in the fresh air, sunshine, and beautiful natural scenery and getting our hearts and breath moving, walking is one of the most accessible activities that provides countless benefits. It has the lowest dropout rate for exercise.
“The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson from "Self-Reliance" (1841)
In our modern world built around vehicles, many of us identify them as the primary movers of our bodies. Walking is a reminder that, indeed, we are and have bodies that need to move on their own on a regular basis and for functional daily purposes. The original purpose of exercise and movement is not to achieve an image at all costs but to survive and thrive in nature as a physical being.
By becoming so inactive as a society, we are now paying a very dear price in our overall health and well-being: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Our youth and potential future generations are the ones who will inherit the impact of our choices today.
We need to walk often to engage and strengthen our glute muscles—standing alone will not do it and excessive sitting causes them to become inactive and weak. In a healthy state, they provide stability to the body and keep our daily movements effective while helping to prevent injuries such as back strain.
To ensure that you’re actually engaging your glute muscles, place your hand on your glute as you take a step. You should feel it tense a bit when you touch the ground and tense up with a “pushback” when you push off for another step. Squeezing each glute upon footfall is a really effective way to further engage and strengthen them.
Research has shown that the benefits of walking and just moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can help you:
Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, especially after a meal
Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
Reduce the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes
Improve blood lipid profile
Reduce joint pressure
Reduce risk of stroke
Improve sleep
Prevent, reduce depression
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
Aristotle’s famous habit of walking while teaching his students was actually quite wise.
It provides many benefits for the brain:
Slows mental decline
Lowers risk of Alzheimer’s
Cognitive control and academic performance in preadolescents (especially those who need it most)
Boosts creativity in the young and healthy(when done outdoors)
Lightens mood
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk.
Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and
walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts,
and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”
~Søren Kierkegaard
Wishing you the Best,
Morgyn
Sources:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/17-reasons-to-walk-more-this-year/#ixzz3VJ8tSGUx
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/health-benefits-walking
http://www.startwalkingnow.org/whystart_benefits_walking.jsp
http://www.arthritistoday.org/what-you-can-do/staying-active/walking/mental-benefits-of-walking.php
