Finding your Walking Groove . . .

Okay, let's think about this. We all know that walking is good for our bodies and spirits, but have you ever thought about the science of it? 

If not, here are a few facts that might help you walk-start your day. To experiences the true benefits of walking, you need to do this for at least 60 minutes per day. Knowing this, you can better appreciate the following processes your body goes through as it obeys your dictum of "Walk! Walk! Walk! 

Ever feel the effects of your muscles warming up, the stiffness of your joints starting to disappear, your heart rate increasing, and the result of those energy-producing cells sending fuel to your brain as it initiates the action of walking? All of this happens within the first five minutes of your walking-for-exercise routine. 

Now, you're cooking! Your blood pressure has started to rise and your blood vessels are expanding to accommodate increased levels of blood and oxygen to those muscles you've begun to flex. In the process, you're burning up to six calories and your heart rate is maintaining its gradual increase of beats per minute. All of this happens within the next six to ten minutes of starting your walking routine.

In the next 10 minutes, if you increase the pace of your walk, you'll burn up to 7 calories a minute, breathe a little harder, and release the hormones of epinephrine and glucagon to continue to fuel your muscles. Your body temperature will continue to rise and you may even start to perspire a little.  

For the next 25 minutes, you'll start to relax a little as those much-loved endorphins are released. Your insulin levels will begin to drop, helping you to shed those unwanted pounds. 

And, in the final 15 minutes of your walk, the levels of your stored carbohydrates will be reduced, as a result of your muscles starting to feel fatigued. Your heart rate will decrease and your breathing will slow, as your body begins to cool down. Now, even though you're burning fewer calories than you were when you first started, the good news is that your level of calorie-burn will remain elevated for at least another hour.  

This is the science of walking and how it affects our bodies. Frankly, I think it's wonderful to be able to identify the reactive stages of our body functions as we go through any kind of exercise; but, with this knowledge, you can find your walking groove by designing a regular walking routine that serves your body in exactly the way you want. 
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