The Powerful Dimensions of a Morning Walk

Who knew that a simple walk first thing in the morning could deliver so many benefits?

It's kind of like habit-stacking on steroids.

For those of you unfamiliar with “habit-stacking” - it simply means that when you're trying to start a new habit, you identify a current habit that is firmly established in your routine. That established habit then serves as the trigger for launching a new habit.

So, many of us get up and make that pot of coffee first thing. While the coffee is brewing, I get dressed, put on my sneakers … then pour that cup of coffee and head out the door.

I've always loved to get outside for a walk, and I'm lucky that when I walk through my neighborhood I'm surrounded by quiet country roads and tree canopy.

But this walk is not my normal fast paced exercise walk or run. It is a slower, methodical walk, and carrying that cup of coffee reminds me to just relax, walk slower, and enjoy what's around me.

Just a walk around my block is an easy and perfect mile. No more than 20 minutes.

This one simple walk has layers of benefits - really kind of like multi-tasking, which plays to my need for efficiency - but in the most relaxed way possible.

What? Yes!

So shift away from the thinking that if you're not out there pushing yourself every minute, it's just a waste of time.

First, it helps with my sleep.

Getting sunlight on your face, and in your eyes (even on cloudy days this is true), can do wonders for setting you up for a better night's sleep.

Think of our eyes as the access portal to our brain, and when natural light is received by our retinas, a number of chemical reactions occur that trigger both genetic and hormonal pathways.

The benefits of this reaction include setting your circadian rhythm and suppressing the production of melatonin, so at night you naturally are ready to go to sleep at the right time for you.

Second, it provides glucose control and a metabolism kick-start.

Most of us are familiar with the notion of glucose control - mostly as it relates to eating.

When we eat foods with sugar and white carbs (for example), it is most likely that our glucose will spike out of a normal range. Unfortunately, a bad night of sleep also raises our glucose levels.

This can set us up for a bad day of eating, because when we have higher glucose levels in our system, and we're tired, we're more apt to give into cravings.

So getting out for that morning walk, especially when we've had a bad night of sleep, naturally lowers our glucose level by helping our muscles absorb the excess glucose, with the added benefit of increasing serotonin which has been associated with modulating our appetite.

Third, it showers down on us a little bit of Vitamin D.

Sunshine is the one natural source of Vitamin D, which is so critical for our immunity. While mid-day sun is more likely to boost our natural levels, at least we get a sprinkle of it when we're outside first thing in the morning.

Fourth, add some breathing and perhaps a bit of meditation.

Slow, deep breathing can immediately dial down the stress level in almost any situation.

Hopefully first thing in the morning we're not wired yet, but that's not to say that there's not something going on at work or at home that day which is negatively occupying our thoughts.

As I set out down my street, I start with just four rounds of deep breathing. Breathing in through my nose for 4 seconds, holding my breath for 7 seconds, and then exhaling through my mouth for 8 seconds.

If this seems like too much, try 3:5:6 breathing in the same pattern as the 4:7:8 breathing.

This breathing naturally engages our parasympathetic nervous system, creating a sense of calm as well as an inoculation of energy, all at the same time. Because stress is tied to so many of our chronic ailments, breathing for relaxation is beneficial to our heart, immune system, and can naturally de-elevate our blood pressure.

After completing that first round of four breaths, sometimes I will practice “walking meditation,” where I set my eyes on an object in the distance, and just practice regular breathing in sync with my pace.

And finally, it provides space to think and sort out the day.

Because we are rarely alone and disconnected, this walk gives me space to think, sort things out, reflect.

I tend to think that this walk always delivers a little gift, because I come home with some new thought that excites or energizes me, which I know I probably wouldn't have landed on if I just immediately dove into my day.

So the only downside to this walk is that it doesn't necessarily qualify for that morning work-out.

But for me it checks so many other boxes.

For me more than anything, it gets me outside, and sets my day.

A bonus?

Sometimes I'll circle around the block, come home and drop off that coffee mug, and then go back out to do a faster paced exercise routine of walking or running or some kind of combination. I know when I do this I further rev up my metabolism and kickstart my body into a fat burning mode at the beginning of the day.

But the more powerful benefit is that it's just such a peaceful start to the day.

I'm not sure Ralph Waldo Emerson knew much about serotonin, melatonin, circadian rhythms and the 4-7-8 breathing technique when he stated:

“In the morning a man walks with his whole body; in the evening, only with his legs.”

But he innately knew that a morning walk was good for the soul, the body and the mind.

If you have a morning routine that gets you primed for the day, I would love to hear about it.

Drop me a line anytime!