Walking in the morning for Health and Happiness!

Remember this hymn?

Walking with the Lord, we are walking in the morning, lift up your hearts for you are walking with God.

We sang this every morning assembly. I went to a girls convent school in India, and this song is so ingrained in me that each time I walk in the sunshine, I’ll invariably sing it. When my kids were younger they would think I was so weird!!

I have always been enamored by sports and sportspeople, but I was never athletic as a child. It seemed that the runners and the skaters, the gymnasts and the basketballers had an aura around them, and I could never be part of that circle. I am not sure why.

India 30 years ago was not conducive for a young girl to be walking or running the streets, whether alone or in company. I don’t think anything has changed much in that regard. So any exercise had to be done inside the confines of the house. We would walk around our neighborhood after dinner but only for 15-20 min.

I first started walking for exercise just after I had taken the state medical exam and was home for the 3 month summer vacation before school started. I remember the first few days I went for walks with my parents and they would leave me huffing and puffing in the dust. I would be so mad! I was deconditioned after months spent sitting and studying, I had been literally tied to the chair. I spent the next three months waking up early to walk the same distance each day, gradually increasing my speed so I could finally beat them by a few minutes.

It was then that I made a pact with myself that I would walk a minimum distance each day. It was usually 2 miles or 30 min. I did try to add running but found it hurt my knees too much. I finished the Couchto5K program, I finished a marathon with my sister, I have tried Zumba, and taken a couple of spin classes but ultimately walking won the day.

I walk in the morning. Over the years I have realized if I don’t finish it in the morning, the day and its requirements just takes over. To be honest, I have been regular with my walk only since my children went to college. Before that it was a daily struggle to fit in the walk. It was on the top of my priority list but the last to be checked off.

I walk because its easy on my knees, I don’t feel too stiff after. I walk because I don’t need any special equipment for it apart from proper-fitting shoes. I walk because I am lucky to live in a beautiful town with lovely paved roads shaded with beautiful trees-it would be silly of me not to take advantage of this natural beauty. I walked through out the soccer and basketball playing years of my kids-when I could not carve out extra time for exercise, I would walk during their practices.

Walking has some obvious benefits. It is a good gentle exercise for whole body conditioning. It helps with the circulation, it keeps the muscles toned so they pump better so the blood flows better in the body. It improves bone health.

It has some not so evident effects too. Walking for three months, 30 minutes at a time has shown in some studies to give the same mood improving benefits as an anti-depressant, and without the side-effects of the medicine. And a big one is that it helps with creativity. There was a study out of Stanford which showed that it was the physical act of walking itself which boosted the creativity and not just the environment.

Walking also helps with brain health as it improves blood flow to the brain. We need that blood to circulate all the time to bring fresh nutrients to the area and carry away toxins. Walking improves focus and memory according to some studies.

It helps with connecting with the other walkers and runners and bikers and dog-walkers. Though I think I recognize the dogs more than their owners. But each smiling nod or a wave is a connection which makes my day go better.

What it cannot do, in my experience, is to help one lose weight if dietary changes are not made also.

Under the American Surgeon General’s exercise recommendations, every person should be getting

– 150 min of moderate aerobic exercise OR 75 min of vigorous aerobic exercise,

– 20 min of strength training 2-3 times a week and,

– 10 min of stretching most days of the week.

150 min of moderate aerobic exercise is 30 min of walking everyday, 5 days a week. So I walk my 2 miles a day but I have increased my goal to 10,000 steps a day. My daily work day in the clinic and then at home, cooking and running errands usually brings me to this number.

Recently HIIT-High Intensity Interval Training is being recommended as the means to good health and longevity. It includes running short 20-30 second sprints going all-out every 1-2 min of slow running till exhausted or about 20 minutes. I tried it a few times but I am not able to sustain the high speeds required. So back to walking. But just to cover my bases I do include jogging sessions of 50-100 steps occasionally.

Try it, either for a set amount of time, starting with 5 min a day or a set distance, maybe a quarter mile. And then, gradually increase your time/distance. Take it verrrry slow if you have not done this before. And do NOT expect any weight changes at this stage, its mainly for the health benefits at this time.

Its one of the easiest habits to start-just wear your shoes and go walk for 2.5 min and then back 2.5 min. Gradually increase by a min at a time and there you are, you have the walking habit. Smile and nod to everyone you meet on the way and feel those endorphins shoot up!

Do you walk for exercise? If not, what is stopping you?

Just someone I met a few days ago.

I want to add one more thing. I am not sure if this has been scientifically proven but walking after dinner, just a leisurely stroll helps immensely with digestion and mental relaxation. It used to be a big part of the post dinner routine when I was growing up. With the arrival of T.V and the internet, this wonderful habit fell by the wayside. I am trying to revive it in my household. Most days I walk around the subdivision and in bad weather, my living room becomes the path.

The WHY of the post dinner stroll. This is NOT exercise. Walking uses up the biggest muscles of our body, the lower back and the leg muscles. When we walk, even slowly, the muscles take up the sugar for their function so that less insulin is needed for its metabolism.

And the same big muscles of the legs, pump the blood vigorously to the various organs , including the intestine, thus helping with digestion and then with eliminating the waste products of that digestion.

With that I rest my case for a daily walk to help with our health and happiness.