Matthew Gates http://notetoservices.com 2m 603 #walkmore
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Challenge of the Week: Walk More
As I stated in a prior challenge, human beings sit way too much, especially if they work in an office setting. The human body is not designed to be sitting all the time and contributes to bad posture, bad health, and weight gain. We could all stand to lose a few pounds, exercise more, and figure out ways to be healthier. The simple exercise that will make you healthier is walking.
I used to be guilty of never walking at work, but I have trained myself to walk more and take more breaks. While I only get an hour for work each day, I have learned to take 10 minute breaks or bathroom breaks every 2 to 3 hours, in which not only do I do my business in the bathroom, but I walk around the office, walk around the building, walk up and down the stairs since the building is two floors, and walk more often than I normally would.
If you hardly ever walk at work, you need to start. If you find yourself having trouble sleeping at night or having too much energy during the day or before you go to sleep, you are not getting enough exercise during the day. A healthy individual exercises enough to the point where by the night falls, they are ready for bed, and usually fall asleep within a few minutes of hitting the pillow.
Sound alien to the human race, especially Americans? That’s because it became the norm to pop a pill to put you to sleep instead of doing it the old fashioned way. Would you give your children a pill or melatonin to put them to sleep? Whatever happened to warm milk and a bedtime story? Those can certainly help. Take a nice warm or hot shower to help put you to sleep as well. Almond butter may also aid in sleep.
What comes with the results of walking? Some weight loss. Better health. Clear mind. Breath of fresh air away from the job. Concentration. Overall more focus when returning back to work. Possibly better sleep. You should attempt to walk for no less than a half hour a day and once you get better at it, get an entire hour of walking per day in there. Depending on your weight, a person can burn 180 to 300 calories a day just by walking an hour per day.
Does that not sound like much? If everyone walked an hour per day for a week, they would burn a half a pound. 4 weeks in a month is about 2 pounds per month. Might not sound like a lot, but changing your diet (which won’t be covered in this challenge) and striving towards a healthier lifestyle will melt the pounds away and lead towards a more active and healthier lifestyle.
Challenge yourself to walk more around the office or just in general this week. As an alternative, you can go for a bike ride, a hike, or make it a point to walk at least 10 minutes everyday while at work or just in general activity. Find some co-workers in the office who are willing make it a habit to go for walks with you. Park further away from the building, take a walk around the building, take a longer walk to the bathroom, but do something to make yourself walk more this week. The human body was made for walking, so start walking!
Let us know in the comments how long you walked, how many days, and if you are going to start making it a part of your new routine!
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