Your Walking Kit: Things You Need with You When Brisk Walking or Jogging

bagsearth.com

You need to take some stuff with you when you're brisk walking, jogging or running outdoors. Anything can happen out there, so you have to be ready.

What if, while jogging, a strong earthquake suddenly strikes? Or, you're a considerable distance from home and then a thunderstorm happens plus a tornado? What would you do? What do you immediately need?

Here are things I take with me when jogging or brisk walking:

1. Extra cash.
2. Small bottle of water.
3. Small bottle of alcohol.
4. Cell phone.

I put them in a small belt bag I strap around my waist.

Extra Cash: In case you're several kilometers from home and you get an injury that makes walking difficult, you can take a cab to the nearest hospital. Or, you suddenly feel hungry or anything, you can buy from the nearest grocery store.

Small Bottle of Water: This is self-explanatory. It's for taking a bath. :D

Small Bottle of Alcohol: What if you suddenly get wounded---like when a gunfight suddenly happens and you're in the middle of it, or an amok suddenly thrusts a knife at you ? The first thing you should do is clean the wound.

Cell Phone: If an emergency should happen, the first thing you should do is inform your family. Or, if a sudden catastrophe should happen, the first thing you want to do is find out if your family is safe.

I also take with me a pen with sturdy casing and point. First, it's for writing stuff on paper (phone number of an apartment for rent you're interested in, or jutting down other information). Second, it serves as weapon.

I can even turn it into a deadly weapon with my Filipino martial arts skills. It's not really a deadly weapon (so you can't get apprehended by the police for deadly weapon). and metal detectors won;t pay attention to it.

Brisk walking or jogging outdoors is not all fun and workout. Remember, you have to be safe all the time when you go out there.

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Brisk Walking in the Rain

From businessinsider.com

If it's raining---like now. It's been raining hard since last week---you can still do an aero workout outdoors---brisk walking with an umbrella to protect you.

I actually tried it several times. It's more refreshing.

But don't jog or run. I don't need to tell you how the street pavement is slippery. And do wear rubber boots. In my case, I wore this cheap rubber shoes with lots of hole designs on them. I just avoided walking on flooded areas and getting my feet wet with water from the street canal. And I made sure I didn't have any wounds on my feet, too.

To avoid leptospirosis.

It's kind of odd brisk walking in the rain under an umbrella. People looked at me like I was the Penguin and they had to call Batman right away. But I think there's more adventure in it. You brave the heavy rains, get all wet eventually, enjoy the streets to yourself, and be the talk of the town later (suddenly you are popular).

And I believe you develop your heart and lung health this way more. The air tends to become thin when it's raining hard. So, if you brisk walk in it and gasp for air more, you strengthen your heart and lungs.

Not to mention you save on water, too. It's like swimming---you workout and also "take a bath," as it were, at the same time. So you need just a bit of water for the final bathing later. Imagine if this happens everyday. You save on your water bill, too.

Well, some folks I know don't bother with umbrellas. They just get wet in the rain either brisk walking or jogging. Some take off their shirts.

But whatever you do, never brisk walk or jog during a thunderstorm. I've seen joggers here brave fierce lightning and thunder and they think that just because they got away with it, it's safe. In any open area where you prove to be the highest thing standing, lightning could strike you. Don't wait till something terrible happens to you before you realize how silly a thing is.

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Why Relaxing is Essential to Brisk Walks, Runs and Jogs

From watchfit.com

Never go out there to brisk walk with worries. Leave your worries where they originated. Office worries should stay in the office, family worries at home, and so on. When you brisk walk, jog or run you have to be relaxed.

Worrying causes stress and stress multiplies free radical damage in your body. Now, did you know that aero workouts produced added free radicals in your body? But it's no cause for concern as long as your aero workout really keeps you healthy. The body will naturally get rid of the free radicals created.

But not if you workout with worries and too much stress. The free radicals produced may become too much than what the body can deal with.

Thus, relaxing is essential when you brisk walk, jog or run.

What I do is forget about worries and problems and look at my surroundings as I brisk walk outdoors. I keep myself in the "now."

I tell myself, "I'm here, walking, jogging or running, and I'm on this road that has lots of trees, gardens and Zen houses. Wow!" Then I appreciate God. Then I look around and appreciate everything or take note of things. Of course, mind where you're going or stepping on. In our area, we have lots of booby traps and land mines. I mean, don't step on dog poo and don't step into large holes in the streets.

It will help you relax to start slow and very gradually build up speed. I walk leisurely at first and then brisk walk before I break into a jog. And then I run. And then I switch motion---brisk walk, jog, run and on.

This way I keep myself relaxed.

Do you need to set goals or beat the record you made yesterday? If you're not an athlete participating in a competition, you don't need to. I never joined walking or running competitions, although I've been running to shape up since grade school. Just enjoy your workout. So what if I just jog for 15 minutes today? So what if all I did this morning was brisk walk? The thing is, you did something.

But often, I make it a point to jog and shadow box at least 30 minutes a day. If at times I do less than that, it's okay. no worries. Sometimes, I just lay idle all day long if that's what would relax me. Sometimes give yourself idle breaks---probably once a week.

Don't kill yourself trying to get fit.

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