Walk for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Soul

I HAVE had several attempts at staying fit. I used to jog before but I was not able to sustain it because I took on so many responsibilities that I forgot to take care of myself. I tried cycling but my bicycle gave up. I tried badminton with my co-teachers but due to security reasons we had to stop it and we were not able to play again. So I grew larger and larger as the days passed.

Horrible. What makes it even more horrible is that every time I meet old friends again all they would say is, “Oh, how fat you’ve become!” Worse, they would exclaim it as if they live to embarrass people in public.

Losing weight is not the only benefit I am expecting to earn from my afternoon fitness sessions. Let me share with you my thoughts about staying physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

Good for the Body

Today marks the seventh afternoon of brisk walking. I started with a six-kilometer brisk walk from home to school and back. I increased it to 10 the following day by walking around the town. (These are just estimates but the markers help me make sure that my estimates are close to actual measurements.)

I usually walk for about an hour and a half at a very brisk pace. Based on the data at CalorieCount, by doing this I burn 400-450 calories. That is roughly enough to burn the extra calories I take in during lunch and coffee breaks. Other than calories being burned, SifyHealth lists 11 benefits one can obtain from walking in this article.

Good for the Mind

With all the stress I encounter each day, I have become forgetful. I find it difficult to remember new information and, of course, to learn new things. Even my speech is hampered and I often run out of things to say or I get lost in the middle of delivering a speech.

I am hoping that if I make this afternoon fitness sessions a habit, I would be able to slowly recover from this problem, or at least slow down or prevent memory loss. (My God, I’m too young for that!)

According to Bukisa.com, brisk-walking can help avoid brain problems. As we age, our brain shrinks in size. This may result to dementia or to a person’s disability to take in and remember new information. Studies have shown that brisk-walking, to some significant degree, helps in controlling the decrease in brain volume.

Good for the Soul

My route usually includes the beach. I walk (and at some point along the way, I jog) to Ladol, a fishing village in my town. I also spend a few minutes watching the waves as they dance to the rhythm of the wind (and, er, other factors that cause waves), the sky as it changes color, the slowly awakening nightlife of the bustling city of GenSan across the water, and the people around as they do their own thing.

Lovely. Sweet. Peaceful.

I spend some quiet time in the sand, gaping in awe of how wonderful this world we live in. I sort of establish a deeper connection with the Creator. The feeling is so uplifting that I could not help but converse with Him in silence and praise His wondrous work.

I go home in the evening, energized, fulfilled, and happy.