Hi -
One of the keys to managing stress and staying healthy is learning how to regulate your nervous system.
The very best thing that you can learn to do is to breathe.
The second best thing you can do is ...
WALK
Yeah, I know. It's not super sexy or "cutting edge" or biohacker cool.
But, the benefits are too numerous to ignore it.
Why should you go for daily walks?
Our bodies were designed to be in motion.
Constantly.
They work best when we do lots of low-level movement, like walking.
For the majority of us, our current lifestyles incorporate very little movement.
Many of us sit at work.
We sit and watch tv or zone out on our various other screens.
Many hobbies are done while seated.
And then we sleep.
This leaves you with insufficient movement for the body to function as it should. Which can lead to poor health, physical symptoms/aches/pain, and negative emotions.
Benefits of Walking
These are the benefits of walking as promoted from the Mayo Clinic website.
Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat
Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes
Improve cardiovascular fitness
Strengthen your bones and muscles
Improve muscle endurance
Increase energy levels
Improve your mood, cognition, memory and sleep
Improve your balance and coordination
Strengthen immune system
Reduce stress and tension
I heard a recent quote from a study that said, "Even increasing your daily step count by 1000 steps (that is like 10 minutes of walking) can lower your all-cause mortality by 12%."
Extra bonus... it's free and requires no equipment.
Extra extra bonus... if you do it outside, you can get your sun exposure. This will help to regulate your circadian rhythm which influences everything... hormones, neurotransmitters, gasotransmitters, sleep, digestion, and the list goes on.
Some of my results
I started regularly walking last January.
I usually try to get about 7500 steps or about 45 to 60 minutes a day.
The most shocking result I noticed was my blood pressure dropped by almost 20 points within about 2 weeks.
The other thing that really shocked me was how much better I felt emotionally.
It seemed the more I walked the calmer and happier I felt.
How to get started
I now recommend walking to all my patients.
You don't have to push it hard.
Just start slow and gradually increase the number of steps you take each day.
I initially started with a step counter, but now I know about how far my minimum dosage for steps is and I don't worry if I go over (or even slightly lower).
To beat the heat this Summer, I walked early before the sun came up.
I'll let you know what I do this Winter when it gets cold and wet.
Let me know if you have any ideas.
Happy Walking!
Tim Nicosia, L.Ac.