Taking Care of Your Body:  Power Walks

Taking a nice walk is great for a couple of reasons:

Have you ever sat down in the middle of the afternoon or in the early evening to try to study...  and you just cannot stay awake?  You try and try to perk yourself up and get alert, but nothing is working.  You start looking over at your bed or the nearest empty couch thinking, "Oh, that looks sooooo comfy!  I could fall asleep in two minutes.  It'd be so warm and toasty!"

Well, if you're getting enough sleep at night (7 hours or more), then you don't need a nap.  What you do need is a brisk power walk!  Get outside!  Let the sun hit you in the face!  Or let the cold wind hit you in the face, whichever applies -- both will work.  Get that blood pumping.  Look at all the nature around you:  the blue sky, the clouds, the trees, the flowers.

If you do nothing and try to study, write a paper or do math problems while you are in that groggy stupor, it's going to take you four times as long to get anything done... and you probably aren't going to do a good job with any of it.

If you give in to the nap (when you don't really need one), you will waste an hour or two and you'll wake up with a headache and will be even groggier.

If you get out for a power walk, you'll only take 15-30 minutes of time away from your work, but you'll return invigorated and will work much more efficiently.  And, while you're walking, think about those school projects you'll be hitting when you get back...  You'll find that your head will clear quickly and you'll even be able to get some good thinking done.   So, the time really isn't wasted!

The other great reason to take a walk is that it is, possibly, the best and quickest way to lower your stress levels.  The fresh air...  Looking at all the trees and clouds...  Getting away from life for a bit...  Get some exercise.

But, there's a rule for getting the complete benefits of your walk and it's a big one:

DO NOT TALK ON YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE YOU ARE OUT WALKING!

Really, yapping on your cell phone will delete almost everything the walk is supposed to accomplish for you.  There will be NO quiet thinking time, NO clearing your head, NO de-stressing, NO taking pleasure in the beauty around you.  The only benefit that will remain is the exercise part...  and this is NOT an exercise website!  This is about getting rid of your stress and being the best student you can be.  Take the cell phone along for emergencies (like if you fall off a cliff or something), but don't make any calls and don't answer it if it rings.

Once you get into the habit (and this will happen quickly), you'll find yourself looking forward to your daily walks. 

Sometimes, I even take my camera with me!  Here's one of my favorite pics I took in my neighborhood:

It had rained the previous day and the clouds were amazing! 

Enjoy the beauty and your stress will melt away!