The top fitness trends this year continue to promote vigorous, intense exercise including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), body weight training, and popular brand name training like Crossfit.  These intense programs do indeed have their benefits, but one of our most ancient forms of movement is the one form of fitness that I almost universally promote to my patients, friends, and family:  walking!  Here are my favorite reasons to walk:

1. Boosts Metabolism:  Walking after meals does a better job of helping food to move through the stomach than espresso or alcoholic digestifs according to a 2008 study.  According to a 2009 study, an after-meal walk can also be very effective at lowering the glycemic impact of a meal—meaning that the activity seems to help stabilize postprandial blood sugar levels.  It only takes 15-20 minutes of walking after meals to experience these metabolism-boosting effects.
2. Prevents Osteoporosis:  As a chiropractor, I am particularly concerned with bone health.  While nutrition is incredibly important for maintaining healthy bones, weight-bearing movement is one of the only ways to capitalize on Wolff’s law—the theory that increasing load on a bone causes the bone to become stronger over time.  Walking is one of the simplest forms of weight-bearing exercise, and as little as 30 minutes daily will help keep your bones strong and healthy.  For an added health bonus, try an outdoor walk in the middle of the day which will help your body make its daily dose of vitamin D, a nutrient that helps bones, mood, and immune function.  (Please note that in order to experience this benefit, you’ll have to go sans SPF, which may mean cutting your walk short, especially if you have very fair skin.  Here’s more info from the Vitamin D Council.)
3. Enhances Creativity:  Have you ever had a problem that you just could not figure out?  You sat there frustrated for 2 hours trying to come up with a solution, and so you finally decided to pop outside to get some fresh air.  Then after walking around for a few minutes, your eureka moment finally came to you!  You’re not the only person who has experienced this.  A 2014 study demonstrated this effect by placing 176 research participants under various conditions including walking indoors on a treadmill, sitting indoors, walking outdoors, or sitting outdoors.  Creativity output significantly increased while walking—whether it was indoors on a treadmill looking at a blank wall or outdoors—rather than sitting.  As little as 5 minutes of walking can help get your creative juices flowing.
4. Social Connection:  Do you remember a time when you used to go over to your best friend’s house and ask if he or she could come outside and play?  Your social interactions revolved around kickball games and water balloon fights rather than cell phones and mealtimes (or using cell phones while you’re all out together having a meal…ahem, I have been guilty of that a time or two, myself!).  A great way to reconnect with friends and family is to make physical activity a part of your socializing.  Walking is an easy one to introduce to your social group because you can still chat while strolling along, but I am a huge proponent of any kind of activity-oriented socializing.
5. Weight Loss and Maintenance:  Of course, I could not leave this one out.  Movement in general seems to help with weight loss and weight maintenance in conjunction with proper diet, stress reduction, and proper sleep.  Try a daily vigorous walk for 30 minutes or a more moderate speed for 45-60 minutes.  Aiming for 3-5 miles daily will be your best bet for helping you with your weight loss goals.  If you have a smartphone, you can track your mileage with a free app like MapMyRun or MapMyWalk.
   

As with any new exercise program, if you are currently under the care of a doctor or other health care provider, check with him or her before starting any new exercise program.  If you aren’t scheduled for an appointment any time soon, most health care providers will be able to clear you with an email or a phone call.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the information in this article or if you would like to know whether walking is right for you.

Many people understand the link between poor sleep and mood, but research from the past two decades has increasingly supported the idea that poor sleep contributes to pain.  Sometimes, the poor sleep is due to the pain itself, but here are 5 things you can try to improve your chances of getting some high quality shuteye:

1. Exercise each day.  At least 20 minutes is preferable, and try to finish up at least 4 hours before you plan to go to bed if it’s a tough workout.  It’s pretty easy to wind down from a relaxing 20 minute set of supine yoga flow, but it feels almost impossible to relax after 30 minutes of intense interval training!
2. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and nicotine, especially in the evening.  These substances adversely affect the chemicals and organs of the body that help you sleep well.
   
3. I love an iced toddy on a hot summer day just as much as you do, but if you’re having trouble sleeping, try to avoid caffeine after lunch (even chocolate and green tea if you’re very sensitive).
   
4. Disconnect at the end of the day.  Your sleep cycle is regulated partially by light stimuli, and the light coming from your phone, computer, or television can really confuse your body.  The electromagnetic waves from these devices may also interfere with your sleep, so even if you don’t have trouble falling asleep with them on, your quality of sleep is probably being impacted.  Try to shut everything down at least 30 minutes before bed.  
   
5. “But what will I do for those 30 minutes without my phone or tv or computer?!” you might ask.  I recommend doing the 10-10-10:  10 minutes of reading (a book, a magazine, an old love letter…just make sure it’s not on your Kindle or iPad), 10 minutes of writing in your journal (this is your chance to get rid of all your worries from the day and celebrate the things that went well), and then 10 minutes of meditating with the lights off.

If you’re still having trouble after trying these ideas, check in with your doctor or a sleep clinic.  And feel free to contact me for more tips!

OM Chiropractic is now open. Dr. McCormick is accepting new patients.  Thank you to everyone who has helped make this dream become a reality!