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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