More walking!

Since the time of the Neanderthals, our body has not changed much: we were and remain two-legged creatures created by nature in order to move on foot from place to place. But the modern way of life has practically saved us from such a need: we are quickly moved from point A to point B by an elevator, a car, an airplane.

“Seated Man”, as the famous anthropologist David Le Breton wittily calls our contemporaries, has practically forgotten how to measure space and time with steps, interact with them through the body. To return to life this simple form of physical activity – walking, you do not need a subscription to a fitness club, or instructor supervision, or special clothing.

Of course, it is best to make a promenade along the seashore, walk along the forest paths or in the field. But on the streets of the metropolis, avoiding such self-justifications as noise, polluted atmosphere, ubiquitous cars, you can lay your own routes for walking. City sidewalks, parks and squares will also help us feel contact with the body, enjoy contact with space and feel the colors of the world around us.

Steps to health

“Walking is good for health” – like any such statement that has become an axiom, it has almost lost its meaning for us and does not cause any desire to follow it. Meanwhile, more and more information is emerging about the effect that this most natural of movements, the rhythmic step, produces.

Harvard University (USA) regularly publishes research results confirming that walking relieves pain during menstruation, facilitates pregnancy, relieves pain in the lower back. In addition, it is an excellent prevention of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and migraines.

Walking is a natural exercise for the myocardium and heart vessels. Due to the increased heart rate, the heart muscle contracts more often, as a result, more blood flows to it. But, unlike running, walking does not put as much strain on the joints.

“For rheumatic diseases, a properly selected physical activity is essential: movement improves blood flow in the joints and prevents degenerative changes in tissues,” explains Anna Bochkova, consultant physician for the RheumoAid program on autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Walking is a natural prevention of varicose veins. The contractions of the leg muscles during movement push the venous blood up, thereby increasing the venous return of blood to the heart.

Another positive effect of walking is associated with its effect on the nervous system: depression recedes and sleep improves. “The intense pace of life causes an increase in the level of stress hormones in the blood,” explains Lyudmila Adashevskaya, Candidate of Medical Sciences, head physician of the Altera Health Center. “Walking helps neutralize them. So walking naturally relieves stress.

In addition, walking increases the production of endorphins – this effect was studied at Duke University (USA). American researchers have concluded that half an hour of brisk walking three to five times a week can replace taking antidepressants.

Lyudmila Adashevskaya believes that the powerful healing effect of walking is also due to the fact that the foot has a huge number of nerve endings (reflexogenic zones) associated with all body systems. There are even special shoes for massaging reflex zones while walking, but simple sneakers will be enough to get a good result.

learn to walk

There are several types of walking. You can choose between sports, intensive walking (what in the West is called power walk), which can be done with weight, and a relaxing walk. Race walking is an Olympic sport. In terms of aerobic exercise, it is comparable to running. But the difference is that in race walking there is no “floating” element, one of the feet always touches the ground, which allows you to somewhat reduce the load on the shock-absorbing system – the spine and joints.

Intensive walking is a type of aerobic exercise – when it is performed, oxygen consumption increases dramatically. This is a fairly fast type of walking, which allows you to adjust the intensity of the load and avoid overstrain of the heart and joints. One of its founders is considered to be Steve Reeves, the famous Hollywood actor and sportsman.

One of the reasons Reeves decided to walk was because of the pain in his knee joints from intense running. He began to experiment with breathing rhythm and adding weight, resulting in a “walk” with leg weights or dumbbells. His book Powerwalking (Bobbs-Merrill, 1982) is popular.

A relaxing walk is focused more on relieving stress, and not on a muscle load. Paradoxically, this type of walking is recommended for those who are obsessed with the idea of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbweight loss.

“Many anorexic and bulimic patients tend to exhaust themselves with physical exercise,” says Teresa Abegg-Klimova, a psychologist at the Clinic for Eating Disorders (Denmark). “But in any weight management program, it is important that it does not develop into a new manic idea, but becomes a way of life. The key to her success is gradualness, as well as getting pleasure from classes. Of course, walking can be done in different ways, but ordinary walks have a huge plus – the ability to relieve stress, especially if you walk in nature.

Walking meditation

In order to enhance the anti-stress effect of walking, as well as feel a surge of energy and strength, you can combine rhythmic movement with meditation. Walking is an ideal opportunity to practice breathing techniques, pranayama. Gurucharan Singh, psychotherapist, director of the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI, USA), practices “breath walk” (breath walk): “In today’s world, few people can find time for two hours of yoga. With the “breath walk” effect, you can leave the office for just 10-15 minutes and come back literally reborn.”

Even simply observing rhythmic breathing while walking helps to disconnect from the endless running of thoughts in a circle, promotes natural relaxation and stress relief. Just a few minutes of concentration on breathing and movement will restore strength to the body and clarity to the mind.

Walking can be combined with listening to your favorite music. Music has a direct impact on emotions, and therefore on mood. It can be used both as a stimulus for active movement and as a relaxing therapy. There are already audio guides for hiking.

For those who find it too difficult to concentrate on breathing, you can listen to an audiobook. This is also a way to temporarily switch off from the daily bustle and “relax the mind”, that is, relieve stress. At the same time, listening to an audiobook, of course, does not provide such an opportunity to maintain continuous contact with the body as meditation.

Moving on for the better

Any physical activity contributes to the harmonization of the body, mind and spirit. Walking to the store or taking the stairs instead of using the elevator, going to the next office instead of talking on the phone or the Internet – walking can give life a new quality.

Walking with the dog, with the family, alone or with headphones – the main thing is to have fun! — it all sounds trivial. But it is precisely such “steps” that can lead us to the most desirable results, including on a global scale. Because the simple concern for one’s own health or the desire to relieve stress are in contact with social issues. Thus, the intention to use the car less often is the first step in caring for the environment, as well as a contribution to the elimination of traffic jams. Knowing this, walking the streets will become even more pleasant.

To take a usual walk, it will be necessary to get out of the house once again, tear yourself away from the TV and miss the release of the latest TV news, as a result of which we avoid unnecessary stress. So, our life will only get better – literally with every step.