Go For A Walk
I am a big believer in walking. Walking is just one of those things that works so well and is so simple that we just don’t do it. Yes, even you big, bad, hard charging varsity athlete or muscular olympic weightlifter. You should be going for walks. Here are some reasons why.
Cardiovascular conditioning. Even for hard training athletes, walking has an impact on your cardiovascular conditioning. If you’re not doing this already, daily brisk walks for 20-45 minutes will impact your conditioning in a noticeable way.
Recovery. 6 games this past weekend? High volume squat session yesterday? Going for some walks throughout the following day will allow you to get that achy, sore feeling out of your legs faster. For those of us who work out and then sit in the car for a while, walking can help mitigate all that stiffness that tends to occur afterwards. Additionally, a lot of injuries tend to feel better with blood flow. Walking provides nice, easy blood flow that doesn’t require a massage therapist or drive to the gym.
It helps your psychology. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that getting some fresh air, away from a screen, with some sunshine probably does something good for your soul. Remember, training isn’t just about the body. We need to be in a good place mentally to succeed in athletics.
Digestion. Going for a 10 minute walk after your meal tends to reduce or eliminate those bloated, sluggish feelings that come after eating. It also allows the food you just ate to work for your muscles better.
It gets you off the couch. This point is not to be overlooked. How many days have you had where you simply didn’t want to do anything? Like the type of day that getting yourself to shower seems like the pinnacle of self-discipline. Going for a walk is a win. It gives you agency. It gives you hope. It reminds us how lucky we all are to be able to move around. If you haven’t trained in a while, walking is a work out that has a low barrier to entry and allows us to start something.
Best of luck with your training today!
With Thanks,