Here we are again, it’s 6:15 in the morning and I’m being dragged by my teenage-pup through the streets of our neighborhood in this ridiculous Florida humid weather. “Why am I up this early…” keeps pummeling my mom-brain as we round the first bend. After a couple of minutes in the fresh air and quiet stillness, the silence halts that angry running “to-do” list blaring in the back of my mind. A feeling of comfort comes over me as my steps fall into a rhythm and peaceful tranquility starts to permeate. It’s the same routine every morning, and I’d be lying if I said “I LOVE to walk at the crack of dawn and come home a drenched stinky mess…” so I won’t. Instead we’re going to lay out the benefits, the struggles, and how to make yourself feel better (mentally and physically) by taking a quick 30-40 minute walk each day.
No Expensive Equipment Required
One of the benefits of walking is reaping all of those rewards! It’s one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get to feeling better, instantly. A good pair of shoes will do it, maybe a good sports bra, and some earbuds if you’re jamming out to music (or a great podcast). Other than that, use what you have and just get going!
*Just a side note for the mamma’s like me, (with thick thighs)…if you are going to wear shorts, make sure they are either a. long enough to cover mid-thigh, or b. you have a pair of longer spandex/cotton yoga-style shorts underneath…those thighs rubbing while sweaty will give you a pretty good rash. ~ just keeping it real~
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving…”
~ Albert Einstein
The Benefits are Remarkable
There’s no doubt about it, walking is a wonderful tool to use when building a healthy heart (cardiovascular health). “The benefits of physical activity depend on three elements: the intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise” (Harvard, 2020). Even a quick-paced brisk walk about 20-30 minutes can get the heart pumping, and reap those healthy stats. Scientists have been saying for years, that running is great for an individual, however, the impact the pounding has on a person’s knee’s and shins, and the extreme pressure “each time a runner lands, are dispersed onto a runner’s body by about 3-times their body weight.” This results in injuries, and “down-time” to recuperate from significant damage.
When a person walks, they receive the same benefits as runners, without the damage to the body, here are the instantaneous short-term benefits:
- Lowers cholesterol
- Lowers blood-pressure
- Protects against diabetes & helps those with type-2 diabetes (if walking is difficult, the American Diabetes Association, (ADA) recommends swimming as another option).
- Reduces vascular stiffness (which leads to kidney disease & cardiovascular disease CVD)
- Reduces inflammation in the gut
- Alleviates mental stress & anxiety
- Burns calories
Here are the long-term benefits for incorporating a daily walking habit:
- Protects against dementia
- Protects against coronary artery blockage (helping prevent heart attacks)
- Kicks depression to the curb
- Aids in dealing with stress & anxiety
- Helps promote a healthy sleep pattern (which is essential in a maintaining a balanced life).
How to Get up & Going?
Like we said before, exercise is not a forte of excitement for everyone. In fact, some people despise it, so making a plan to get up and going is crucial. First, make sure your gear is set-out the night before. It’s easy to let that morning funk take over and say, “forget it” but you know deep down you’re going to be happy when it’s all finished and done.
Second, make a playlist or find a really great podcast to help get you motivated and keep you going. You can literally make a playlist from all free music platforms such as iTunes (collection of your own downloaded music), Spotify, or Pandora. Here are a few of our favorite podcasts:
Third, make sure you go to bed on time. Zoning out to “Netflix and Chill” will really cramp your style when staying up way to late and absorbing all of that negative light from the TV. It’s not good for your mind, body, or attitude the next day. So turn off the TV, and get your Zzz’s.
Finally, find a buddy! Even if you aren’t close in proximity, you can absolutely do a FaceTime call when walking (or Zoom a group of gal-pals). The goal is to find your mom tribe which will help motivate and get you up and moving in the morning. The upside is that all of you ladies know how to hold each other accountable, and that’s a good thing! Especially, when walking to better yourself.
Carpe Diem
Seize the day momma, and above all, be patient with yourself, especially when implementing a new practice. Remember, it takes 21-days to build a new habit, and even after that, it’s still an ongoing work-in-progress. So if you miss a day, drop the mom-guilt immediately, and start back up the next day. Ease into this new routine, and find useful tools that work for you. Most of all, keep a positive mindset even on the rough days because you’re absolutely worth it!
Let us know how you’ve integrated a new exercise routine, or what tools are great to helping someone stay on track!
