Health professionals swear by the 30-minute walk a day as the remedy to get us started on the road to that all important daily physical activity. People are listening and discovering that walking also yields so much more benefits to our overall wellbeing that just a routine activity.
Missing my daily walks has become a rare occurence. It is part of my routine and my overall panacea for a day well spent.
It started during the pandemic. At the time, it was difficult to comprehend how everything could just stop. I’m still a little puzzled by what the world went through, but like most people, I’ve come to terms with it. As I sat at my dinning room table which had become my makeshift desk, I often found it difficult to perform the most mundane task like making coffee, writing emails, or just focusing during online meetings. Moving around my living room seemed like an unsurmountable effort.
Was I depressed, I truly do not know but I knew I was not feeling like myself.
I knew I had to do something, anything to will myself out of the state of haze I was in. Reading, my go to remedy slightly helped, but I needed something more. One day I randomly found myself reading an article about vitamin D deficiency and its effect on our bodies’ ability to fight Covid-19. I wowed right then and there to start getting some sun.
I started going out my front door and around the block during my lunch breaks. I felt better but five-minute walks were not enough. I was still wary about catching the little known disease, but I put on my mask, ventured in my neighborhood and a routine was born.
I would meet people, who like me I assumed, were looking to make sense of it all or were just trying to get out of their homes. We were all hesitant to say hello behind our masks, but all so determined to hold on to something a little more tangible like a stroll or a run.
Walking Helped Me Find Peace by Improving your Mood
I look forward to my daily walks now. They allow me to pause, reflect on my day, breathe, and just be. I’m at peace with the decisions I’m making regarding my life and the path leading me to be my better self. I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood that is equipped with a walk trail that feels like an amazonian forest with a canopy of trees, bushes, and plants along the path. According to research, a walk, combined with any. kind of greenery will help uplift your mood.
Some weekends, I walk with my good friend to catch up on life. She lives five-minutes from my house and our walks are usually the highlight of my week. It feels surreal that just sharing our hopes, activities, and worries can lead us to a better understanding of life as it should be. So adding a social element to this daily exercise leads to happiness research show.
2. I Am Making My Way to Healthy Weight
Losing pounds was not my initial purpose for taking these walks but I'm ripping off the benefits. My clothes fit better, I feel lighter, and my scale tells me I've lost weight.
According to experts, walking increases metabolism and the body's response to insulin. I usually aim for 10,000 steps per day and have set my phone accordingly. Sometimes, I add a few minutes of jogging to get my heart rate up.
3. I Am Improving My Heart Health
I was diagnose with high blood pressure a few years ago and I've been on medication ever since. My doctor has assured me my walks are making a difference in improving the health of my heart.
My doctor also informed me that with time, she could possibly lower my medicine dosage and that physical activity was lowering the risk of me having a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or a stroke.
Walking makes me happier, improves my physical health, and helps me take care of my heart health.
PS: I walk at least five days a week for an hour. But according to health professionals, 20, 30, or 40 minute walks per day ( two to three times a week) will help tremendously.
Photography by Zanounelie
Good read. Thanks for sharing!