The Health Chronicles: I Like To Move It, Move It.
Walking is more than just exercise
Welcome to another Sunday check in! As I continue to take care of my mind and body, I have become more in tune with the way certain things effect me, both in a positive and negative way.
Sleeping NINE hours Friday night? I felt great yesterday and even though I knew I would have a late day, I did not feel tired or dread the late hour. I didn’t even feel the need to have any black tea for a stronger pick me up.
Why did I have a late night last night? Well, the new part time job was hosting an event that had me on the other side of town pretty late. I take public transportation, so getting back home takes a while, and since I was getting back so late, the buses were not running by the time I would get off the metro.
This meant I was in for a THREE mile walk in the dark after working the 4 hour event.
Now, those who have been following me for a while know that walking 3 miles is nothing for me. At my peak during the summer I was averaging anywhere between 8-10 miles a day. But this is still a new area for me, and the walk does have a spot that has no street lights for a bit of a stretch. I love to talk. I love to…move it, move it. (I am so sorry sometimes I think I am funny)
So, rather than be annoyed, and a little sketched out by my late night walk, I embraced it. And once the schedule for this job solidifies, I may find myself taking more late night walks, though not quite as late last night.
To be honest, after getting home I felt great after that walk, and I am starting to remember how much better I feel when I move my body. I used to listen to podcasts while I would go for my walks. There’s nothing wrong with that, and I think there are plenty of them out there that are uplifting and send good vibrations through the brain. But I find myself listening to music a lot more now, or just listening to the world around me. These offer me more of a release of good chemicals in the brain and also a cleansing of the “gunk” that can build up.
For me, walks are as much of a mental cleansing as they are a physical one. You can read countless articles talking about how walking like you’re late is incredibly healthy for you in so many ways. The book I am reading on brain health talks about it rather frequently. Especially while living in a house with other people at the moment, lonely walks are excellent (and necessary) for having quiet alone time. While I am exercising, it’s also in its own way the way that I recharge.
So, I will leave it there. I’m just falling back in love with my walks again. I am thankful that I live in an area where parks are abundant so you can walk trails for miles and miles. Maybe eventually when I am more comfortable in this area I’ll go off the trails and explore a little more. I used to do that at home quite frequently.
I am happy to be moving again, and I look forward to continuing this movement of moving in 2025. Though, I think I’ll need to work up a little more of a sweat when I do so. Why? That’s another story for another time.
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