Recipe for a Bountiful Body
“He who learns, teaches.” — Ethiopian Proverb
Bakers know better than anyone that the key to the perfect pastry lies in the ingredients as well as the measurements. One tablespoon too many or a ½ cup disparity from what is needed will ruin the entire batch. Just as precision is necessary in the science of baking, quantity and quality matter when progressing on our journey. We must find the optimal mix of ingredients necessary to keep the body and mind firing on all cylinders and recovering in a timely manner to be able to perform, while slowing physical deterioration. So what do we mean by ingredients? Well just as the best cake or pie requires specific ingredients, we need to know what ingredients are included in building, growing and maintaining that body of brilliance. Although we’re not cooking in an oven, we will use fine ingredients like cardiovascular activities…running, biking, swimming, yoga, walking among others, stretching and mobility movement, acupuncture, massage, sauna, chiropractic care to name a few…and we will explore other ways of promoting our bodies to improve even as the time passes us by.
It is said that variety is the spice of life and it’s true. There are many examples we can point to which support this fact. We eat different meals at night, have collections of shoes and gear, like different types of movies, even go on vacation to different places when we travel. Therefore we must diversify the ways in which we seek to obtain optimal health. So what do we do and how do we do it?
Let’s dive in 1 at a time with a brief intro to our smorgasbord of options.
First Step…Walking
It’s not a coincidence that walking is one of the initial physical milestones we reach as individuals. Sitting up, crawling, raising our heads and even clenching objects are all significant, but walking is probably the biggest early achievement we accomplish and remains a significant and crucial aspect of our functioning lives. Considering this, would you believe me if I said walking is greatly underrated? In most instances concerning weight loss, improving health, lowering blood pressure, fighting disease or maintaining fitness, walking is rarely near the top of the list. To accentuate this point I refer to Christopher McDougal’s book “Born to Run”. This book has elevated itself to a sacred manual in the running community, and the title itself ingratiates running as the king of exercises. I haven’t heard any other exercise being designated as a honorary birthright and many runners grab hold of the superiority of running. Even I as a runner, loved the scientific rationale of the book along with the stories of perseverance, dedication and triumph promoting running as king. But let us not forget…we must walk before we can run.
Taking a glimpse at history, we obviously know that planes, trains and automobiles are a modern introduction and transportation as a whole has thrived tremendously since the initial introduction. People going from one place to another has been a necessity from the beginning of time and the populating of different continents of the world was accomplished by…walking. People moved from one place to another by walking…tens, hundreds, thousands of miles, and the early migrations consisted solely of walking, sans help of animals. At the point where the assistance of 4 legged creatures did arrive, it only benefited the select few as the nomadic tribes pushed forward en masse, populating different lands. This walking obviously reuired fitness at the same time as promoting it. I haven’t done edtremely extensive research on the early migrations however I would guess that there weren’t many instances of high blood pressure or obesity. Walking is definitely the best and easiest path physically to good health and its simple enough that all fitness levels can get the steps in. The ease st which it is done adds to the allure...no gym membership, trainer, track or specialized equipment is necessary, just get your shoes on and GO!
Key benefits of walking include:
Improve Heart Health
Research shows that every 1000 steps can lower your systolic blood pressure by .45 points, meaning 10,000 steps equates to your pressure being 2.25 points lower than walking 5,000 steps. Another study found that especially for older adults, every 500 additional steps taken daily was associated with 14% lower risk of heart disease, stroke or heart failure, so get that extra 5 done.
Reduce Stress
Walking is known to reduce the stress hormone cortisol, and 10 minutes of walking can lower anxiety and increase focus and creativity. I can personally attest to this as some of best ideas have come during a nice walk. When I get stagnant in my thoughts, a simple few steps away from the screen always helps me reset.
Alleviate Joint Pain
It may not seem like it but the ponding of the pavement helps joints. Well not the pounding itself but the increase in blood flow and circulation which results from the increased activity. Walking improves range of motion and mobility, hence increasing blood flow to tense areas strengthening muscles around surrounding joints. That’s a lot going on without having to give a second thought to your workout plan…we have a workout without having done more than our basic natural movement function. Genius!
Endorphin
Again, we may have heard endorphin, or “the happy feeling” mainly associated with running but walking is known to significantly improve your mood as well. Even 10 minutes of walking can lift your spirits, and adding greenery and sunlight makes it even more effective. Regular walking modifies your nervous system resulting in a decrease in anger and hostility so we can become calmer from taking a walk. Now I understand why the term “go take a walk” is uttered during potentially heated situations…that walk allows for calm.
There are many more benefits from walking and it goes without saying that it is and will remain the best and easiest path to greatness. Definitely the low investment, high return we all desire in all walks of life.