Movement is a big key to improving health. An easy way to move is to walk. Walking is the ultimate, universal exercise. The majority of people can do it and it’s free.
The benefits of walking include:
– reduce blood pressure
– lower cancer risk
– improves pain and function in musculoskeletal disorders
– improves sleep and mental health
– increases resilience
– strengthens bone, joints like knees and hips and muscles
– improves mood and mental clarity
– helps maintain a healthy weight
– reduce sugar cravings
– gets the lymphatic system moving which helps with drainage and swelling
– strengthens immune system leading to less colds and flus and quicker recovery when sick
– walking for 15 minutes after a meal has been shown to reduce blood sugar
When it’s cold outside the idea of walking outside might not be very appealing, especially if you aren’t very active. What I do sometimes is just walk in place while I watch tv or doom scroll. What I discovered while my kids were virtual learning during the plandemic was that YouTube is full of walking videos. Just search for walking workout. There’s even a Walk at Home channel. They are actually pretty fun. Some channels even have videos that take you on a walk outside.
I also use a treadmill that’s pretty fun. It’s a small, compact treadmill that doesn’t take up a huge amount of space. It’s pretty basic, nothing too fancy, but gets the job done.
Challenge:
Start tracking how many steps you get in a day. If it’s less than the recommended target number of 8000 – 10000 per day, try getting more active. Any extra steps in the day is a good start. Take 5 minutes and walk in place while watching tv or listening to a podcast. Then slowly bump the time up to 30 minutes. Also, evaluate if it helps you feel any better.
Resources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10643563/
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/03/benefits-walking
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-walking
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/benefits-of-walking-a3407007507/