This One Exercise Can Change Your Life

If you do this one exercise you would see massive benefits to not only your waistline but your energy level, mood and even ability to solve complex problems.

Not only that but you don’t need to drag yourself to some gym packed with sweaty teens hogging all the equipment and girls more focused on taking a video at the right angle than actually working out.

You can do this for free practically anywhere, anytime. Can you guess what it is?

Yup you guessed it right it’s old-school potato sack racing.

Potato sack racing has been around for centuries and has immense health benefits…. just kidding it’s walking. No offence to any potato sack enthusiasts reading this.

Walking is the KING of all exercises despite it being thought of as, well not an exercise.

When most people think of exercise they have images of Arnold Schwarzenegger doing curls until his biceps resemble a watermelon or running on a treadmill until they collapse.

Most people are not looking to win the next Mr. Olympia or run like Eliud Kipchoge. They want to feel better throughout the day, lose some belly fat and not have to dread completing some hellish workout when they just finished a long workday.

Walking is the perfect fit and introduction for anybody who wants to start consistently exercising, it is extremely underrated and when performed daily the benefits are formidable.

Let’s see just why walking is so great.

Everyone can walk and it’s FREE

Well maybe not everyone my apologies if you are reading this while in a wheelchair but the point remains it is an extremely accessible exercise to most people.

Unlike traditional gyms which can be daunting just to enter for the beginner and charge a monthly fee, walking is free and you can do it practically anywhere. You don’t have to drive 30 minutes to and from just to get your workout done. Open your door and you're ready to go.

By the time most people will have spent driving to the gym you will be almost done with your workout, leaving you extra time to do the things you love.

Your friends probably don’t want to join you for a 5k run that will leave them wheezing like old man Jenkins but most will love to get some fresh air on a walk.

You can catch up with your friends while getting your exercise and won’t have to pay a dime!

Humans were designed to walk and walked A LOT for thousands of years

For thousands and thousands of years, humans walked practically all day every day.

Now most of us spend the majority of the day sitting and staring at a bright screen. This goes against the very nature of what we were physically designed for and the consequences are devastating.

People are more overweight and depressed than ever before and lack of exercise, as well as sunlight,t are huge reasons why.

The amount of time you spend sitting during the day has been correlated with all sorts of negative health complications such as increased belly fat, anxiety, back pain and that’s just to name a few.

Humans were designed to walk and our bodies and minds face horrible consequences if we don’t do what our bodies were meant to do.

We think better during and after walking

Whether you had a bad day at work or are trying to think of a solution to a troublesome problem walking will help.

Walking has been shown to reduce stress by reducing cortisol levels in the body. It has also been shown to increase creativity by as much as 60% and increase our working memory. It is believed that the rhythm of our steps and increased blood flow to the brain allow these physical changes.

Many writers are also notorious walkers and view the two as integral to each other. They walk to gather ideas and break through the dreaded writer's block. If you just stay in the same place staring at a blank page it’s not likely a new idea is going to pop up.

If there was a pill that could do all of this it would be sold out within seconds.

Gives you energy

It doesn’t matter how many brilliant ideas you have if you don’t have any energy to execute them.

Not to mention going about your day feeling sluggish and like you're just getting by is no way to live.

If you start walking daily you will see an almost immediate benefit to your energy levels. This will allow you to be effective throughout the day whether it’s at work or home playing with your dog.

If you start your morning off with a walk I guarantee you will notice increased energy throughout your day, unlike a grueling workout which can leave you feeling drained and craving pizza after.

Having more energy is crucial to being able to live a fulfilling life.

Improves your sleep

There are few things worse in life than staring at the ceiling wondering why you can’t sleep and knowing that you have to get up for work in 5 hours.

Walking especially during the morning hours which exposes you to sunlight at the ideal time will help bring your sleep cycle back into its normal rhythm. Not only will it help you fall asleep, it will increase your quality of sleep as well. Leaving you with more energy and a better mood the next day.

Walking in the morning with sunlight is the best time to reap the most benefits to improve your sleep but walking at any time will still have benefits.

Go Walk!

A solid walking routine is a foundational habit to maintaining overall health it can also be used as a stepping stone if you decide you want to go further on in your fitness journey.

Try walking at least 30 minutes every day and I guarantee you will notice some surprisingly strong positive changes throughout many aspects of your life.

So what are you waiting for, go on take a walk!

This article was originally posted on Medium.