Bitten By a Bad Bug? Walk Around the Block

By Marina Aagaard, MFE

So it is that time of year … summer holiday aka recovery period is long gone.
It is getting cold and the cold is getting you (me). Or worse: You are bitten by a bad bug or caught by a feverish flu. A sorry scenario: Too sick to eat, sleep and work out?!
No way! If you are low on power, a good old walk may do the trick:

Walking is man’s best medicine
Hippocrates, physician (460-377 BC)

I took a walk in the neighbourhood; Mols Bjerge National Park, Denmark.

Walking has numerous health benefits and a lot less risk of overuse injury, than e.g. running.

• Walking at low, slow, speed stimulates mindfulness and stress reduction. An excellent activity every once in a while, even for hardcore exercisers,
• Walking at regular speed provides limited cardiovascular exercise, but if the walk is long enough, you will still burn some calories – apart from getting healthier.
• Walking with increased speed, powerwalking, and interval walking with regular intervals or fartlek, e.g. walking on hills and stairs, will improve your stamina; how much depends on initial fitness level.

Lately, I have been taking quite a few walks around the block – or rather neighbourhood –
to curb and chip away an evil cough … #¤”&//=?@£${{@£!!!

It serves as mind-body travelling, too. Walking, travelling, at a moderate pace doubles as active meditation and you have time to observe all things small and great … you are observant in a leisurely way, a bit like being on holiday (travelling): Like!

Go walk.

A few fall walk snapshots from down the road (2 km): A typical Danish holiday area by one of many small beaches at the eastern part of Jutland peninsula, mainland Denmark:

I can’t help it … taking photos of nature’s wonderful sunsets (soooo predictable).