What changes might I feel or see after a month if I do an hour of brisk walking every day?
This seems easy enough, right?
Recently I spent a week in Surrey in England to celebrate the 20th birthday of my twins. Every day we walked through beautiful countryside before finding a country pub for ‘refreshments’. The walks were all 5+ miles in length and the terrain was generally undulating and at times pretty heavy going due to the muddy fields we were crossing in our attempts to follow ancient footpaths. At the end of each walk I certainly knew that I’d done some exercise and had probably done myself some good. I definitely didn’t feel guilty sitting down for a nice cold beer after.
My point is this; at the end of the week I actually felt amazing. Was it all the fresh air or all that struggling through the mud? Certainly, my legs felt stronger and that was despite missing my gym sessions whilst I was away. Thinking about this I wondered what would happen if did this for a month. Would I get better and better or would I plateau? I decided to give it a try and I have simply added one hour of brisk walking to my daily schedule. I’m still going to the gym, doing my daily stretches and doing my daily dog-walks, but on top I’ve added 60 minutes of brisk walking.
Intuitively, and as a chiropractor I know that I can expect some adaptive change and I’m interested to see what will happens over time. I’m also actually quite excited by this simple act because, if I think about those long-living locals who live in the so-called Blue Zones where people often live to over 100, the one thing that is common to them all is that they do a huge amount of walking. However, I don’t live in Okinawa or Sardinia; I live in Singapore. But let’s just give it a bash anyway and see what happens.
I’d describe my fitness levels as maybe a 7 out of 10; not bad but definitely room for improvement. Will an additional hour of brisk walking every day make much difference I wonder. Well, we’ll see.
What I do know for sure is that any person with a sedentary lifestyle (not that I’d describe my life as in any way sedentary) who starts walking consistently can expect to see some pretty cool changes and that’s on top of the obvious strengthening and conditioning that are a given. Here’s a few of them.
1) For starters, you might find that hour cardiovascular fitness improves, meaning your heart and lungs are getting stronger, which can’t be a bad thing.
2) Plus, walking is a great way to burn calories, so if you're looking to lose weight, this is a great place to start!
3) Walking is also known to boost our mood thanks to the release of endorphins in our brain. So, if you're feeling down or stressed, a good brisk walk could help lift your spirits.
4) And, it can also improve your sleep by regulating your sleep-wake cycle, so you can wake up feeling more rested.
5) Another benefit of walking is that it can help stimulate digestion which can ease any bloating and constipation you may be experiencing.
6) And, get this, walking can even help improve your immune system! That's right, regular exercise can help your body fight off infections and illnesses.
7) Lastly, if you have joint pain, walking can help with that too! It can improve joint mobility and reduce pain, especially in the knees and hips.
Overall, it’s well established that doing an hour of brisk walking every day can do wonders for your physical and mental health. I am of course aware that everyone is different and will see different results depending on their current fitness level and overall health. But, hey, it's worth a shot, right? So, grab your trainers and join me and let's hit the trail! I’ll let you know how I get on at the end of the month.
Dr Tim Errington is an America trained Doctor of Chiropractic, Functional Medicine Practitioner and the Founder of Total Health Chiropractic, a chain of Wellness Clinics in Singapore. An Author, Speaker, Educator and Lover of Life, Dr Tim is obsessed with Wellness, Vitality & Longevity. He wishes to share the truths that he has learnt in his travels around the world.
Tim can be reached at timerrington.vitality@gmail.com