Walk, Stretch & Breathe your way to Good Health
The human body simply wasn’t made for sitting all day, as often happens in our computerized world today. We are designed for movement. Exercise is our replacement for hours spent at computers and is vital to oxygenate tissues, release stress from emotional, mental and physical levels, retain flexibility and to enhance our circulatory systems. Based on even a 30-minute daily walk of continuous walking, studies show improvement in all body functions and significantly reduced depression or anxiety. Not that we need a study to tell us that! Notice the difference in your wellbeing before the exercise and after, and remember it as the incentive to make exercise a regular habit.
Walking impacts everything from blood sugar and cholesterol levels, weight control, lung function and oxygenation for tissue health. This simple activity actually improves everything from muscles (including leg cramps or poor circulation) to organs and let’s not forget – our mind. It relieves depression, anxiety and stress by producing endorphins, the body’s natural tranquilizer. What an easy way to put a smile on your face!
People with health problems should have proper guidance to plan an exercise program to match their individual needs. Begin gently, but gradually increase exercise time. For those opting to exercise at home, the best solution is to have a Certified Personal Trainer set up a program suitable to your individual needs and body type. Receiving professional instruction about proper form, and which muscle groups to work when, can be paired with complementary nutritional guidance. This kind of guidance assures that you stick with a program until it becomes a habit you enjoy because of the results. You feel good! Check out the various types of training available, as there are a variety of personal trainer courses that have varying methods of focus on how to work muscle groups.
Why stretch? Because muscles stretched to their proper length are healthier. A muscle at its proper length means no strain on bone attachments, resulting in greater flexibility. This means less chance of injury if you slip. Stretching helps develop body awareness and loosens the mind’s control of the body. It should be part of your daily life and can begin as easily as hugging your knees to roll slowly from side-to-side before jumping out of bed.
Your muscles are protected by a mechanism called the stretch reflex. When you stretch the muscle fibers too far (either by bouncing or overstretching), a nerve reflex sends a signal to the muscles to contract in order to prevent injury. Hence, the painful muscle spasm when we don’t listen. Stretching, when done correctly, is not painful. Learn to listen to your body, because pain is an indication that something is threatening the area.
Hand in hand with stretch, is breath. Your breathing should be slow, under control and rhythmical when stretching. Yoga , Pilates or NIA dancercize are but a few examples of excellent activities for fun and guidance in stretching, exercise or breathwork, providing benefits for a calmer mind and body. Meditation then, is just a breath away, so to speak, and is one of the greatest natural healers you can tap into.
