Walking…the Perfect Exercise!

By -

Okay, I know it’s NOT the perfect exercise—swimming is probably the best exercise we can do, but not all of us have access to water for swimming.  And, even if there is water nearby—be it pool, ocean or lake, the weather or climate is not always agreeable.  So, the next best thing is walking—it doesn’t use as many muscle groups as swimming, but at least it can be done almost anywhere, anytime…and the benefits are undeniable.

When I walk in the park (or in our neighborhood), I swing my arms, feel the roll of the muscles in my thighs, breathe-in deeply through my nose…and I feel that all is well with the world. 

Unlike running, walking does not require that pre-/warm-up stretch.  I can just walk out my door or step out of my car and start walking.  I start slow for the first 10 minutes…allowing the blood to flow through my extremities, slowly warming the muscles.  After that first ten minutes, I slowly but steadily increase my speed until I get to the fastest sustainable walking speed I can for that day.  That word ‘sustainable’ is an important word because I need to get my two miles in, and if I walk TOO fast, I’ll end up burning out before my complete walk is done.

Now, I have set my daily goal at two miles per day because that distance allows me to get my heart-rate up and keep it elevated for a sufficient length of time (about 25 min.)  Everyone will need to set his or her own goal…and that goal should be more about time and sustained heart-rate than about distance.  An article from “SparkPeople” says that good and effective aerobic exercise meets three criteria: it needs to happen 3-5 days a week, should be of “moderate intensity,” and should last at least 20 minutes.  That is, one’s heart-rate should be should be at a sustained rate for those 20 minutes.  Of course, you can click on SparkPeople above to read more.

After a good walk, my body is warmed, my muscles infused with blood and I feel good.  NOW is the time for this walker to stretch.  After my walk, I complete a modified yoga routine that stretches most of my major muscle groups and leaves me flexible and feeling great.  My walk + my stretch take about 40 minutes…and benefit me throughout the day.  This 40-minute investment in my health brings and will bring big returns throughout my life as I grow older.

Some folks find time in the mornings, others make time in the afternoons or evenings.  It really doesn’t matter WHEN one does the exercise—what matters is DOING the exercise.  Make a decision today and go for a walk—you won’t regret it!

Read more here:

Article: Benefits of walking

Web-site--The Walking Site

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Where are You From?”—My Cultural-Linguistic Journey

By -
Image
  “Where are you from?” Few questions illicit as much anxiety as this one. At times, I even avoid meeting new people just to side-step this question. “Where are you from?”—seems like such an easy question that should have such an easy answer. For me and others like me, not so. I am a part of that anomalous group of people called “Third Culture Kids”—those who are born in one culture, raised in another, and never completely ‘at home’ anywhere—and often multilingual in some sense or another. Here is my journey…. [In a rich southern drawl] I was born in south Alabama…way down south where the peanut and cotton fields fill the landscape. I came into that world in the mid-60’s…long before cable TV, central a/c, cell phones, and anything akin to ‘urban sprawl.’ My daddy was the Baptist preacher at a small and growin’ church outside of Dothan, Alabama…that’s ‘Dothan’ – “DOOOE-thun.” My momma, a school teacher, and daddy raised my two older brothers and me in a good Southern home. My f...
Read more

I Never Met Jesus…

By -
Sounds like an odd confession coming from this disciple, pastor, missionary guy, but stay with me…. The lady is an amazing woman who has affected my life in profound ways. I have watched her and learned from her. She has molded me and shaped me in many ways. I listened to her as she told stories, as she conversed with others, as she spoke in gentle whispers and in those rare occasions when deep anger rose to the surface. I followed her at times through great crowds of people…and sat near her around tables, on beaches and in cars. Her songs lulled me sleep…her voice called me to life in the mornings. However, the curious thing is that I never ‘met’ this woman—Mom was just always there. Having grown up in the Church and in a Christian home, Jesus was just always there. From the Bible stories that my parents read to me at night…to the prayers around the table at meal-times…to the Bibles that seemed to form a part of my parents’ accoutrements—Jesus was just always there, simply part of the...
Read more

How to Joyfully Survive an ‘Economic Down-Turn’ (or Recession, Depression, etc.)

By -
Image
This idea has been swirling around inside my mind for almost two years, so I guess it’s time to put it on paper.  Now, some will say, “Why’d wait TWO years if you have the answer for us!?!?”  I don’t know.  I guess I’m busy…and perhaps a bit lazy…but more than anything,  I really wanted to turn my thoughts over and over in my mind to make sure I wasn’t telling you something misleading or incorrect.  Two years later, I believe this is a big part of the answer. The secret to joyfully surviving a recession or to living it through it basically unscathed is this:  Decide to live beneath your means. Now, the first part of that statement is SUPER important.  You (and I) must make the mental decision, must take that intellectual step.  If it’s forced on us—which is what a recession or depression may really do, then there is no joy in the living.  We find ourselves bitter, jealous, on a long-term ‘pity-pot’…if not in debt, homeless or...
Read more