The New Rules - Just Move Baby

Part Two

Step one:- Get moving.

It’s really nothing new here. The thing is that we should have more time. We can take 30 minutes first thing in the morning to walk 2 miles. We can take 30 minutes after dinner to go on a family walk. Get up from your desk and walk for 10 minutes every hour.  Like the slogan goes, Just Do It.

There’s enough information out there regarding the benefits of walking 10,000 steps every day that we should all just put that on our schedule. One study suggests that a chemical, responsible for appetite suppression is released at about 8,900 steps. You may be able to eat less when you move more. 

Given everything that we’re dealing with these days, home schooling, work zoom meetings, reduced shopping hours, lack of social interaction, dining experiences, etc.. we are dealing with more stress to our system. The last thing we need is to press our nervous system further by crushing HITT workouts and burpee challenges. You can read more about stress and exercise here.  The first step for most of us is to move more, and not just any movement. We need to move in a way that drives parasympathetic response.

While you’re walking look around. Pay attention to the stuff around you. If you stare at the ground or your phone, you’ll be using your central vision. Central vision increases tone in the sympathetic nervous system- think fight or flight (or freeze). It’s gonna be real tough to de-stress in this state. If you look around and open up your peripheral vision, you can use your parasympathetic nervous system- think rest and digest.

Getting outside can also provide some much needed Vitamin D.  Vitamin D can make us feel better, reduce high blood-pressure, and improve or retain bone density.  More on Vitamin D from a webMD article. It's responsible at many cellular levels and can do a lot to help us now, especially if you're upping your exercise regimen.  A leading researcher once made the argument that you need the equivalent of 45 min. of naked sun exposure- if you live south of Atlanta, GA.

   Did you know: walking may be a better way to increase flexibility in the body vs. traditional stretching program.

Step one is simple. Move. Bike, walk, run, play. Whatever it takes. Get 10,000 steps per day and create a foundation of movement. Peel yourself off the couch, outta the desk chair or off the floor and get moving.  Let's go. Now's the time to make some changes and some awesome habits.  That body that you dream of isn't just gonna show up without some work.


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