Your Best Life is Possible

First answer this: Do you want to live your best life? Do you want to enjoy fun outdoor activities with your family & grandchildren? You likely won't climb Mount Everest at age 70 but you can still have adventures like 3 day hiking, biking, or kayaking trips with friends, or romp around the ranch & play with your furry friends.

Get out and walk to live your best life.

The more you move, the more you CAN move - twist, bend, stretch, lift, and play. It was so sad hearing about my grandpa's health decline due to lack of activity. After a few years he ended up being isolated because he'd lost his ability to get outside and move around. He passed long before he should have. This is not a lifestyle anyone would want to live, and definitely not a happy life.

Walking Safety

• Drink 1 cup of water during 1 hour before you go - depending on the climate & length of walk. Drink again when you're done.

• Wear good walking shoes with arch support. Your toes should have room to wiggle. A narrow toe box is not healthy.

• After walking, stretch your calves, shins, quadriceps (front, upper leg), and hamstring (back, upper leg).

• Wear a hat or use sunscreen even if it's cloudy.

• Night walking can be unsafe, so walk in your neighborhood. Or, walk in a well lit & popular trail with a friend. If you don't have a reflective vest, wear light colors.

Best Ways to Walk

Walking can improve the quality of your life, and help you have a better life. These are some of the ways that I've been walking. FYI: I researched several health & fitness sites to confirm these to be the best methods to walk. Note: a normal, un-hurried walking pace should = 1,000 steps every 10 minutes.

1. Studies show 30-40 minute brisk walks are healthier than slower/normal paced walks.

2. Taking 2 walks (morning & afternoon or evening) for 25 minutes has the best health benefits.

3. Brisk walk - 3 miles/hour = 20 minutes/1 mile. About. 2,252 steps/mile. Walk 40 minutes = good results.

4. Brisk walk - 4 miles/hour = 15 minutes/1 mile. About. 1,935 steps/mile. Walk 40 minutes = great results.

5. Breathing - at a brisk pace you should be able to talk, but not sing. You may be slightly out of breath until you improve your cardio health.

6. If you don't currently exercise - start with 15 minutes/day, 5 times/week at any pace and work your way up.

7. Interval walking technique - the study shows a 20% reduction in health care costs + 50% lower blood pressure for those using interval walking. Walk 3 minutes at normal speed, then 3 minutes very briskly. Repeat for 30 min.

8. Work more muscles & balance - alternate between walking forward & backward on even ground. Repeat for 30 min.

9. You won't always be able to walk outside, so if you can't - you can walk at home with a YouTube walking workout.

10. FYI: The info below was gathered from personal experience, medical studies, and trusted medical sources. I'm not a medical professional - but I have 25 years of improving my personal health and I practice what I preach.

Improves Mood - Lowers Stress

Do you feel anxious or stressed? Go for a walk in nature for the best results. Walking can also ease loneliness while increasing self-esteem & self-confidence. Being active releases your happy hormones: dopamine, endorphins, seratonin. After a while, walking decreases the stress hormone: cortisol. It's an overall mood & mental health booster.

Recommended: Walk briskly for 30 minutes, 3-5 days/week. Or, do 25 minutes in the a.m. and p.m. 60 minutes of walking in nature will decrease stress activation in your brain. Stress Kickin' Habits.

Improves Mental Strength

Walking improves your focus since you're getting more oxygen to the brain. With focus, you'll also increase productivity & creativity. Thinking, language, and memory are all improved by consistent walking or physical activity. Better mental health gives you the feeling of well being.

Recommended: Brisk walk for 40 minutes, 3 times/week. To reduce risk of Alzheimers & Dementia by 25%, walk a 4 mile/hour speed for 30 minutes/day.

Lowers Risk of Chronic Disease

If you can walk 8,200 steps - you'll lower your risk of these chronic diseases significantly: type 2 diabetes, hypertension/high blood pressure, obesity, sleep apnea, GERD gastroesophageal reflux disease, and others. See up top: Best Ways to Walk, 8,200 steps at a 4 minute/mile pace would require a walk for 1 hour + 23 minutes.

Recommended: To lower your risk of chronic diseases, brisk walk at least one hour, 1 - 2 times/week.

Improves Heart Health

Walking helps boost heart health by lowering your blood pressure & the risk of heart disease. You can lower your systolic blood pressure by .45 points if you walk 1,000 steps. See up top: Best Ways to Walk.

Recommended: To lower your risk of heart attack & stroke by 30% - walk briskly for 30 minutes, 5 times/week. Older adults reduced risk of heart disease, heart failure & stroke by an extra 14% by walking 500 extra steps - about 4 minutes more.

Improves Sleep

To improve sleep, take a walk in the morning daylight (sunny or cloudy) to keep your internal clock on track. Get quality sleep by walking which helps lower stress so you can relax & have less pain. Exercising & being active 5-6 days/week helps you process melatonin, your sleep hormone for better sleep.

Recommended: Walk briskly 30 minutes, 5 times/week. Or, 20 minutes in the morning and after dinner for extra help with digestion, blood sugar, and weight.

Lack of Sleep Makes us Looney Tunes.

Boosts Energy

I know this sounds backwards - but the more you move, the more energy you have. Boost your energy by walking briskly - you'll breathe in more oxygen & strengthen your lungs & heart, which in turn elevates epinephrin the hormone that regulates energy. Blood flow also improves, moving oxygen & nutrients so you feel energized.

Recommended: 10 minutes of stair walking increases energy more than a small coffee. Walk briskly 30 minutes, 5 times/week. Or, 20 minutes in the morning and again after dinner.

Keeps Bones & Body Healthy

Most activities like walking are weight bearing which help keep your bones strong & healthy. Therefore, it can help to slow the loss of bone resulting in osteoporosis. Your lower spine, hips and leg bones get healthier from walking. Consistent daily movement benefits your entire body. With stronger legs, back, and abdominal muscles you improve balance - so you're more able to stand up from the floor. Flexibility also improves - now you're less stiff so you can have some fun. Plus, you'll have little or no inflammation or pain in your body.

Recommended: To prevent bone loss & improve bone density, take a 30 minute brisk walk, 3-5 times/week.

Reduces Joint Pain

Walking is considered a low-impact activity and doesn't pound or stress your joints. It improves blood flow, range of motion, and strengthens muscles which support your joints. Walking reduces or eliminates joint pain especially for people with various types of arthritis as well as those with bone & muscle health conditions. Fibromyalgia sufferers can also see reductions in pain, fatigue, and other symptoms.

Recommended: A brisk walk for at least 10 minutes per day totaling 1 hour/week can turn a disability into possibility. And, it reduces joint pain. I say - why only 10 minutes? Work your way up to 20 or 30 minutes per day, 3-5 times/week.

Improves Digestion

To improve digestion & lower blood sugar levels - wait 5-30 minutes after eating, then some sources say walk for 2-5 minutes or 15 minutes. I walk or do chores for 30 minutes. Walking instead of coffee also helps keep you regular....unless of course you're a cheese hog!!! Walking also works the abdominal muscles & your spinal cord stays more flexible, especially the lower back.

Recommended: Walking after a meal is especially helpful if you've had a large meal, a meal with dessert, or after the last meal of the day.

Improves Immune System

Moderate intensity activity like brisk walking improves the immune system by increasing white blood cells - the immunity cells & our internal defense system against germs, viruses, and diseases. A strong immune system attacks the bugs, lowering our risk of getting sick from infectious diseases. And if we do get sick, we'll also recover faster.

Recommended: Walk briskly 30 minutes, 3-5 times/week. Or, walk 20 minutes in the morning and again after dinner for extra fighting power against disease.

Better Quality of Life

Exercise/walking & physical activity are needed to have your best life, and in most cases a longer life. Add social engagement, purpose, and a healthy diet for your best chancres at quality of life. A 7.5 year study showed a 22% decrease in deaths from ALL causes just by increasing your number of steps by 1,000.

Walking more is directly correlated to fewer deaths. Those who walked 5,500 steps almost daily - I'm going to guess 5-6 times/week - had a 49% less chance of dying from ANY health related cause. Those who walked 6,700 steps had a 49% less chance of dying from cardiovascular causes.

Recommended: Walk briskly to get over 5,000 steps, 5 times/week. Or, walk 25 minutes in the morning and again after dinner for overall extra health benefits.

Maintains Healthy Weight

Walking helps with weight management. Walking is free except for good pair of walking shoes, and it can be done almost anywhere. It also helps control blood sugar levels.

Recommended: If you interested in loosing weight, a brisk walk for 25 minutes in the morning & evening are more beneficial than one longer walk.

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