No excuse. You should be walking. Every. Single. Day.
If you do an online search for the “benefits of walking,” you will get several pages from a bunch of different sources all explaining the amazing advantages of walking as exercise. Try it yourself and you’ll see what I mean. Everything from mood enhancer to joint lubricator to heart stimulator. Walking does it all.
One of the most powerful ways to maintain a healthy weight, keep your joints strong, and live longer is also one of the simplest, no matter your age. The health benefits of walking are endless, and experts agree by adding walking to your daily routine, you can greatly improve your physical and mental health.
But please, don’t head to the gym (if you can avoid it). Get outside. In fact, I have known for years that if you want to get to know your neighbors, grab your dog’s leash, put your baby in a stroller or your youngster on a bicycle and go for a walk. What if your neighborhood doesn’t have a lot of active outdoor participants? Do it anyway. In fact, conduct your own experiment … get out and walk every day and in a few months, you will probably see other people getting out and walking every day. I promise. It’s a thing. I’ve seen it happen.
When I was in my mid 20s, I did something that changed my life: I got a dog. Kaley was a Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever mix and was about as awesome as they come. She was an active puppy and pushed me into a twice daily walking routine.
That was over 35 years ago. An overseas trip, a few bouts with the flu when I could not lift my head off the pillow and a week or so after my hip resurfacing surgery are pretty much the only times I have missed a day walking with my dogs. That’s a long time and a lot of walking.
It hasn’t always been easy, but active dogs are quite an incentive. Walking with the flu is no fun, but I’ve done it. Walking dogs after hip surgery is tricky … but possible. Crutches helped me hobble the block or so to the park where a chuck-it sling shot allowed my dogs to run, retrieve and enjoy some time outside. Extra benefits? I got out of my “rehab” chair and actually started rehabbing my hip … and the rest of me.
My keeping up with The Goldens daily walk has been going on for close to 40 years. I have met and become good friends with many neighbors who didn’t necessarily live close by. I have watched children grow and friendly faces come and go. I have forged special bonds with fellow dog owners as we watched our dogs greet each other with joy and then run and chase each other around the yard. This is magical stuff that can’t be duplicated on a gym’s treadmill.
So, that’s the short of my long relationship with daily walking. For me, walking is so much a part of my life that I feel awkward and incomplete if I miss a day. And if this little testimonial doesn’t inspire you, maybe these little facts about the benefits of walking … will.
Walking is free
Here’s the best part – you are already equipped for this exercise. If you are bipedal, and able to hold yourself upright, you can walk. A decent pair of shoes is helpful, but not always necessary. Your bare feet would absolutely LOVE to wander around on grass at home or in a park. But for the most part, any type of foot covering will do. The “barefoot” movement has created a growing industry of minimalist shoes. For many years, the shoes I have worn not just for walking but also for dog agility are Vibrams, otherwise known as gloves for your feet. Neither option is free, but they do allow your feet to work the way nature intended.
Walking helps to strengthen the spine and improve mobility
As we walk, the motion helps push our body fluids throughout our joints and muscles. You’ve heard the phrase “Use it or Lose it?” Well, it’s true. Think about the last time you got out of your car after a several hour drive. If you are like me, you are a little stiff. It takes a few steps and some regular movement to loosen things up. If you stay more active each day, your body won’t have the opportunity to freeze up. Dr Steven Hulme shares more information here.
Walking reduces stress
As the saying goes: “Walk it off!” Research has proven that walking helps people feel better and especially when outside, is an instant mood booster. As you walk, you can either try to work though any problem … or … you can allow yourself to concentrate on the birds and flowers and trees and nature all around you. Is that bird just chirping? Or is he saying something to you? Ha! Listen and find out. Blue Cross has a nice article here.
Walking improves your cardiovascular system
As you walk, Your calves act like a pump and they help to circulate blood back to your heart. Better circulation means lower risk of blood clots. Walking is one of the easiest ways to increase your physical activity and improve your health. Frank S. Ring from Walking for Health and Fitness has more information here.
It is my belief that unlike running, walking is something that you will be able to do until the day you die. If you do nothing else but start walking every day, it is very likely that you will lose weight and build muscle. And then if you choose to adopt a healthier lifestyle by being more careful about the food and drink that you ingest, I guarantee that your health will improve, you will lose weight and your body will change for the better. A simple way to start your journey to better health is to walk for exercise every day.
There you have it … a bunch of reasons to get out, put one foot in front of the other and walk as exercise. So, off you go! Grab your partner’s hand, your dog’s leash or your baby’s stroller and take a walk. Proven benefits that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.
“The number of prescriptions filled for anti-anxiety drugs spiked 34% and orders for anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia medications also increased from mid-February to mid-March and peaked around March 15, according to a new report released Thursday.
The increase “demonstrates the serious impact COVID-19 may be having on our nation’s mental health,”…
While not totally surprising, it’s still a sad statement and in many ways could have been avoided. I’m not going to debate the necessity of the stay-at-home orders. My research and findings are about how we can all stay sane and keep our immune systems healthy and happy.
Everywhere I have looked, I continue to see references to immunity. The vast majority of deaths attributed to the virus were people who had one or several underlying health issues and therefore were immunosuppressed. So, obviously, staying healthy means maintaining a healthy immune system.
Let’s start by looking at some of the signs and symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety and fear.
Stress and Chronic Stress
Irritability, which can be extreme
fatigue
headaches
difficulty concentrating
difficulty sleeping
feeling helpless
a perceived loss of control
frequent infections or illnesses
Find more information about stress at webmd.com here
Depression
Loss of interest in otherwise pleasurable things
Feelings of hopelessness
Decreased energy
Difficulty concentrating
Aches, pains, cramps
Difficulty sleeping
Changes in appetite or weight
Find more information about depression at healthline.com here
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Headaches
Irritability
Pounding heart
breathing problems
upset stomach
extreme fatigue
increase in blood pressure
muscle aches and other pains
Find more information about anxiety at healthline.com here
Fear
sweating
trembling
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
pain or tightness in the chest
headaches, dizziness, feeling faint
confusion or disorientation
fear of losing control
feelings of dread
fear of dying
Find more information about fear/phobia at nhs.uk here
After researching and compiling these lists, what I find most interesting is the similarity between all four. When you review the lists, do any of these sound familiar? I think most of us would (sadly) have to say “yes.”
If you are experiencing many of the symptoms from any of these lists, I hope you will seek professional help. I am not a doctor — and I don’t even play one on TV — my goal here is to provide information that might prompt you to do some research to help improve your own personal condition. Another goal is to help you find NATURAL ways to help calm you and improve your overall well being, which can also boost your natural immunity.
So, how can we improve these symptoms of stress, depression anxiety and fear so that we feel better AND help boost our immune systems?
This one didn’t make any of the lists, but I think it should: turn off the “news”!!
“It’s important where you get your news” someone recently told me. I couldn’t agree more. But instead of arguing about which talking head is telling us fact or fiction, how about we just turn them ALL off? Ingesting too much “news” is a major culprit of increased stress, anxiety, depression and fear. Sadly, instilling fear seems to be one of MSM’s (main stream media) favorite games these days. Tuning OUT/turning OFF all of the chatter will be helpful to all of us.
#1 on many lists: Be Observant.
I like this one. Instead of ignoring your body, listen to it! Check the list of signs and symptoms again – my guess is that you will find a few things that you are struggling with. Understanding what is happening might help you find the right solution to feel “better” or “normal” again. Hopefully some of the suggestions offered here will help you manage and improve the symptoms.
I recently wrote an article about how to boost your immune system. Interestingly, the list to help you reduce stress, anxiety, depression and fear has a few crossovers to the list I wrote to help boost your immune system. Check out the list here and think about adding a few of the activities to your daily routine. Hopefully, that list and the suggestions I offer here will not only help you feel more relaxed mentally and physically, but will also strengthen your immune system.
Get Outside and Exercise
This one is so important that in addition to the article I wrote about boosting your immune system, I felt compelled to include it here too. Just about every article I read about how to reduce stress, anxiety and depression and fear included exercise. Why is that? Exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones – such as cortisol – and helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
I don’t know about you, but there were several nights when I was really struggling to sleep. My mind was racing, and I was unable to shut it down. Luckily, my 3-ish mile morning walks with my dogs allows me the opportunity for fresh air, sunshine, time to think/meditate and to give me the ability to commune with nature and neighbors. Pippin’s energy now has us doing an additional 30-minute walk at night and it has really helped me to shake off much of the day’s stress. All very good stuff.
So, take a walk, get on a bike, dance to your favorite music or practice yoga. All of these activities will help improve your mind and body. And, if you are outside, you get the extra benefits of fresh air and sunshine – both HUGE immune system boosters.
Check out more great information about how exercise can reduce stress from the Mayo Clinic here.
Read a Good Book
When was the last time you visited a library? I know most of us will buy online but there is something truly awesome about a library. If you don’t want to leave your house, there are a gazillion online outlets for downloading books to read and books to listen to. I recently discovered Chirp, which offers discount audiobooks. First, I downloaded several self improvement books and then I treated myself to a classic and one of my favorites – A Tale of Two Cities. For almost 17 hours, I was consumed by the awesomeness that is Charles Dickens. If you haven’t read a classic in a while (or ever) I highly recommend you pick one and learn why it has withstood the test of time. Here are some great options.
Get your hands dirty and grow something!
“Getting your hands dirty is actually a good thing. The more soil you get under your fingernails, the more you are exposing yourself to bacteria. And, the more bacteria you expose your system to, the harder it will be for them to invade your body.”
Lucky for me, I seem to have inherited a green thumb. Both of my grandmothers were gardeners and if you drive by my mom’s house, there is no doubt that she loves the chaos of flowers of every color beautifully arranged around her yard. And, I don’t know about you, but I just can’t wear gloves when I am working in the yard. I need to *feel* the dirt and the roots and leaves and the flowers. My guess is I have probably ingested a bunch of dirt along the way too – not on purpose, but if you have dirt/potting soil up to your elbows and your nose itches, things happen. Turns out that can be helpful too. I absolutely love this.
Another great thing about gardening, as if there aren’t enough great things already, is that when you are busy digging and planting and watering and enjoying, you are actually doing a form of meditation, which will help to create a sense of calmness and well being. My Grandma Mitchell used to hum while she was gardening. Maybe you will too.
Learn a New Language
If someone could explain the allure of Candy Crush, or any repetitive “game” like that, I would appreciate it. If I have some free time, I prefer to read and actually learn something. A few years ago, I discovered Duolingo – a free program that will systematically guide you through the process of learning to read and speak a new language. I kinda fell off the wagon when I had my hip surgery, but I am hoping to pick it back up soon. I really enjoyed the learning process. So maybe try Spanish one week, French the next week and one of the 22 other languages they offer during the third week and then decide which one really speaks to you. (Ha – pun intended). You can get started here.
So there you go – SIX great ideas to help you relax, refocus, and reenergize:
Tune out the Noise.
Pay attention to You.
Move your Body.
Engage your Mind.
Grow Something.
Learn something New.
I hope this information will help you find something that will calm your mind, body and soul. There are links to just about every source I found/used, but if you would like more information about anything listed here, please feel free to contact me.
