Walking Forward

Waking up at six in the morning is quite the experience if you’re used to sleeping in later. The old English proverb says: “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” rings true whenever I get up. Granted, I can be rather slow at getting up, but I find it so much more satisfying to control when I get up in the morning than it is to sleep in. The best part about getting up early, however, is getting to have a morning walk. Cars do not clutter the road this early, the weather is generally cooler then than it is during the day, and, if you manage to get into the right spot at the right time, you can catch a beautiful view of the sunrise.

Let’s face it: the sedentary lifestyle is not a healthy one, yet it is one we’re all encouraged to partake in. Many jobs consist of sitting or standing around in just one place. Given this situation a lot of people are stuck in, some exercise may be necessary. A little light walking and stretching can go a long way to helping you overcome whatever aches and groans your body has.

On the mornings that I do walks, I always stretch my legs. Stretching before you walk is crucial because you’re liable to injure yourself otherwise. Stretching helps my body wake up and gives my muscles a bit more flexibility. It takes a few minutes at most, but the pain of a pulled muscle is worth every second you stretch.

The main reason that I walk is for its positive mental benefits. Exercising releases a cocktail of chemicals such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and endorphins. These chemicals boost one’s mental sharpness, relieve stress, and even relieve the symptoms of ADHD or depression. Oftentimes, I use light exercise to help me brainstorm ideas for this blog. Even when I can’t go outside, pacing the perimeter of the house helps simulate the same process indoors.

I don’t remember when I started walking regularly, mainly because such walks have become sporadic over the years. It’s difficult to get into the habit of exercising on one’s own, so it was always easier to remember to exercise when I had my mother or some other family member around to remind me to do it. That said, I believe it was around the time I got out of college. In college, I gained my freshman fifteen. This was mainly because I lacked discipline. To prevent me from getting too bloated, I worked to remind my body to get up from the computer now and again. Even when I am at home and have nothing to do but sit at my computer, I have trouble sitting in my chair for too long. I eventually get the urge to walk my dog, to get a drink water, to stretch, or even just to pace the house aimlessly. I honestly think that this habit is a good one, as it keeps me from being too lazy.

Regular exercise fills me with energy. The endorphins that make me feel good also strengthens my body, making it easier to work. As counterintuitive as it sounds, a good, long walk makes less tired than sitting in front of a computer half-asleep all day does. Energizing both the body and mind prepares me for the day ahead.

I’m not the only one to get a lot out of my exercising. My father also tracks how many steps he walks throughout the entire day to prevent himself from being too sedentary. Lately, he’s been excited about walking with me in the morning because it helps his body. My dad has leg pain, but yoga stretches and walking together provided him such relief that, for the first time in a long time, he’s moving around pain-free. Such is the power of good leg exercises.  

That said, while my mom proposed walking with me in the morning, she’s not as positive in the morning as I am. While I do feel a bit groggy right after I wake up, I make sure to force cobwebs in my brain and keep a positive attitude through sheer willpower. By contrast, mom would rather not wake up early for our morning walks since she prefers to drink coffee to start the day. She enjoys evening walks, but my dad and I have convinced her to join us each morning.

Waking up early these past couple of days is quite the experience. In the future, I’m hoping that this regular exercise will improve my body, mind, and discipline so that I can walk forward toward a brighter tomorrow.