Start Walking Now to Have A Productive Spring
By Tom Herrin
If you have been storing up for winter so you can do nothing, you might want to remember that spring is just around the corner. When that happens, you will want to get outside and become more active. It is just human nature, the way things work. That warmer weather is an automatic trigger for our internal clock in a way. You suddenly feel like you can do more and, like it or not, you will have to. Unless you have someone take care of your lawn, you will find yourself outside mowing, edging, raking, and trimming all sorts of things. It would be in your best interest to get into a little better shape so you won’t be faced with the sudden reality of breathlessness, soreness, and general exhaustion. You’ll have the same thing you experienced last year and already forgot.
Start Easy Now
There is no time like right now to go outside and begin walking. Start slowly. Try going down to the end of the block and back a couple of times. You don’t have to go fast or climb steep hills. You just have to begin moving. Ideally you would like to start with about a 10-minute walk and work up to 20 or 30 minutes. Pace is not important except that it would be best if it was steady.
Measured Progress Is Always Rewarding
It wouldn’t hurt to keep a chart about your walking. Writing down how long you walk each day might be more helpful than writing down how far you walk. Endurance is more likely a reasonable goal than distance. As long as you increase your length of time weekly or so, even if only a couple of minutes, you will see good progress by the time the weather warms up.
A Few Key Things To Remember
Anytime you do any kind of exercise, you need to do some kind of a warm-up. This should usually include stretching as a primary part. Stretching can increase blood flow to your muscles so that they have an adequate supply of oxygen. It can help to avoid injury to muscles and other soft tissue. Another thing that should be considered is proper clothing, including shoes. There is no need to spend any great amount of money, but the shoes should provide good support and cushion. If you start early, you can be ready and able to enjoy the outdoors as soon as spring arrives.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.