Get Your Mind off It…Walk

Walking, most of us do it every day. This simple form of exercise can reap great health benefits to those of us who have quit smoking or those of us who never smoked. In this edition of “Get Your Mind off It…” we’ll discuss how walking can benefit quitters and things that can make walking more fun.

The benefits of walking for smokers come in two forms. First, walking releases endorphins which can help with the anxiety that most smokers experience when they quit. Second, walking gives us smokers something to do besides smoke. In most instances, any time we would take a break to go smoke, we could take that same moment to walk instead. Walking tends to clear the mind and give you greater self- awareness as well. When you walk you may pay greater attention to your breathing and body movements.

Even if you cannot take 10 minutes and walk around your office building, you can get a neat little gadget called a pedometer. This is a small device that counts your steps while you walk. These devices can cost less than ten dollars or more than thirty dollars, depending on features. If you are a type A personality and want accuracy, go with the more expensive one. You can find all sorts of quality pedometers at www.amazon.com as well as the sports section of your retail store. Some, like the ACCUSPLIT AE170 have features like calories burned and total distance.

As a word of caution you should always stretch before you do any physically demanding exercise. Hamstring stretches help protect you from muscle pulls while walking. And as always, check with a doctor before starting any type of exercise program. Then get walking to “Get Your Mind off It!”