Did you know exercising in the morning can give you a clearer mind and more energy throughout the day? The best time for a morning "performance" walk, especially if you need to be at your best right at the start of the workday, is around 7 a.m., say Stephen Kiesling and E.C. Frederick, Ph.D., authors of Walk On. The morning is the best time because your body is at its coolest point, and lowest alertness at 4 a.m. and doesn't normally reach its peak until evening. A morning stroll can boost your body's temperature to the maximum to coincide with the demands of that early morning.
No matter what's on your schedule, a walk can serve as a bridge into the day, both physically and mentally. Start out at a stroll and let your body warm up to a striding pace. Stay focused on the rhythm of walking and the feeling of physical well-being that emerges with the exercise.
Even if you've started your day with a brisk walk, by late afternoon you may be running on fumes. Work often demands that you hold in feelings and ideas, unable to do and say the things you might like to. That buildup makes the afternoon "peak anxiety time," according to Kiesling and Frederick. An afternoon walk can help to defuse some of that nervous energy and release you to enjoy the evening ahead.
Some tips for an optimum afternoon walk from New York City's Walking Center:
Drop your shoulders. Afternoon anxiety can leave knots of tightness between your shoulder blades. Don't force them down, though. Just try to imagine you're carrying one-pound weights in each hand to bring down your shoulders. Deepen your breathing. By late aternoon your breaths will have become shallow. Try breathing from the belly. Don't look down. When you look down as you walk, your bent neck inhibits your breathing and keeps your shoulders tight. Instead, look ahead. Find a point ahead of you so your eyes keep traveling in front of your body. If you feel you're being over-stimulated by your surroundings, keep your head up anyway and simply lower your eyelids. Reducing visual stimuli will help ease your tension. Let your arms swing naturally to counterbalance your stride. But don't pump uour arms; that only increases the tightness in your upper body. When you step out, let it start from the hip, not the thigh. Allow your hips to roll loosely to keep the area from tensing. Be conscious of the rhythm of walking. If the memory of a difficult phone intrudes on your peace, refocus on what your body is doing and imagine yourself walking through a difficulty and away from it. If you're feeling tense, you don't want to push too hard. In fact, walking too fast may actually increase your anxiety. If you known how to use your body efficiently and are aware of good walking technique, you ought to be relaxed even though the body is focused and alert.
Credit:
National Business News
Dec 1988
Page 8
