Greetings! Are you tired? Achy? Do you want to feel better? Feel more alive? Then go for a walk. Yes, it’s that simple. So while I have your attention grab a comfortable pair of shoes and go now. I’ll be here when you return.
Walking is perhaps the best therapy for depression, lack of energy, feeling stiff and achy there is. Walking increases circulation (good for your heart and muscles), has been shown to be effective for depression (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/exercise-vs-drugs-for-depression/), and improves mood. Walking provides relief of minor lower back pain.
My question for you is how do you spend your days? Are you tethered to a desk? Standing long hours behind a sales counter? For many years I worked as a pharmacist. I was on my feet up to 12 hours a day. My feet and back often complained. Now that I work from home I tend to work sitting down, and my neck gets stiff. I am not moving enough.
Our body is designed to move a lot more than most of us make time to do. Natural, functional movement. Like walking, climbing, squatting. These types of movement used to be part of everyday life. Now we drive to the grocery store instead of working in the garden to grow our own food. We drive to a gym to workout. Children are driven to school instead of letting them walk or ride their bicycles. This is not beneficial for our health. What we need is movement throughout the day.
I arrived almost two weeks ago to help with my grandson. I have loved every minute with him, but he loves to be picked up and carried. My back is not used to lifting thirty pounds of adorable cuteness for each trip up or down the stairs, into and out of the carseat, to and from the car. Especially as we have been in “waiting for baby to be born” mode. This morning I got up and walked the neighborhood, in a light drizzle of rain. When I returned home I did a short yoga routine (here is the link to my blog post on yoga) to stretch out. My back is feeling better already.
Tomorrow is a long day of travel for me. If you are in the Atlanta airport I’ll be walking the terminals between connections. Be sure to say hi! Oh, and Michaela came home with Mommy and Daddy in time for dinner last night. Jonathan and I are headed to the library and park today!
Make your health a priority, schedule your FREE 20 minute consultation today. Let’s work together to make 2016 the year you take control of your health!