4 Steps to Get the Most Out of Your Walk
Friday, March 14, 2008
By: Anita Boser, LMP, CHP

FMOnline vol. 8, no. 3

Put on your shoes and grab a bottle of water. What else do you need to go for a walk? Plenty—if you want the activity to be therapeutic. As a matter of fact, good planning can make the difference between feeling energized or wiped out after exercise, and walking is no exception. It only takes a couple of minutes of preparation to get the most out of each step.

Energy Assessment
Before you set your sights on a trek across the neighborhood or over hill and dale, check in with your energy reserves. Choose a path and speed that matches what you have in store, no more.

If you take a hike and are drained before it’s finished, it’ll probably be days before you want to exercise again. On the other hand, if you walk once around the block slowly, the momentum created by your movement will inspire more later. Walk at a slug’s pace when your energy is low. The slower you move, the more core muscles you use. Walking doesn’t have to be fast to be effective.

Heart and Mind
Choose a setting that supports your mental and emotional states so they’ll benefit, too. The soothing comfort of nature—birds, trees, flowers, water—can mend frayed nerves. Some days the upbeat tempo of a busy sidewalk is the perfect prescription for lethargy, but avoid rush-hour pollution.

Music can be a companion; just be sure that headphones don’t obscure your ability to be safe in your surroundings. Speaking of companionship, do you prefer solitude or the encouragement of a friend? Try to arrange the environment that you will enjoy the most.

Them Bones—and Muscles
Trigger points can be activated by cold, so be sure to dress warmly with a scarf, hat, and coat that covers the hips in cool weather. It’s a mistake to assume that the body will warm up quickly just because it’s moving. Actually, people with fibromyalgia experience a reduction in body temperature during exercise. Even 30 seconds of cold air can prompt muscles to spasm, so the best strategy is to dress in layers that can be removed if you get too warm, and put back on as your body cools down during slower strides.

If you walk in a way that nourishes the body, rather than trying to whip it into shape, you’re more likely to feel good. Give your body a chance to warm up; start slowly and gradually increase your tempo. If you need warm-up exercises, try standing on your toes, swinging your arms, squatting to open the hips, and undulating to free the spine. Stretch to lengthen muscles after exercise, when they’re more limber.

Be mindful of how fast your muscles can move and don’t exceed your personal speed limit, which will vary from day to day.

Feed Your Spirit
Walking is more than a way to balance the mind and energize the body. It can give you time for reflection, be the moment when inspiration strikes, and give you space to feel free from others’ needs. In other words, walking can feed your spirit. Before you head out the door, set an intention. How can you make this a positive experience rather than a chore? Conscious goal-setting sets the foundation for physical transformation.

Now you have more than your walking shoes and water bottle. The course matches your needs and abilities. You’re appropriately dressed and warmed up with a healing attitude. Every step of preparation will reflect in every step you take outside, and your body, mind, and spirit will benefit.

Anita Boser, LMP, CHP is the author of Undulation Exercises and Relieve Stiffness and Feel Young Again with Undulation. Her private practice is in Washington, where she helps her clients regain fluidity, alignment, and vitality with a combination of bodywork, awareness dialogue, and movement education. You can learn more at http://www.undulationexercise.com/.

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This article was originally published in the FMOnline newsletter. This free online newsletter is only available to registered members. Click here to register!

View other articles in Vol. 8, No.3 newsletter:

In the Spotlight

4 Steps to Get the Most Out of Your Walk

The NFA Guide to Creating Your Own Walk of FAME

The NFA Guide to Hosting an Informational Event

Legislative Proclamation Program

In the News

Missouri Introduces FM Legislation