There are so many habits and practices that are great for our physical, mental, and emotional health. The challenge is to find time to do them or to remember to do them. For example, practices like walking, deep breathing, smiling, maintaining proper posture, and mindfulness all tout a host of scientifically proven health benefits. Wouldn't it be great to have a simple single habit that incorporated several wellness practices into one?
For this week's Better7 challenge and micro-resolution, I decided to try to combine walking, deep breathing, smiling, mindfulness, and proper posture into a 5 minute power walk. I wanted to experiment with this practice as a mood enhancer, stress reducer, wellness booster, and break from my busy home and work life. I committed to doing these 5 minute power walks at least once a day, although I often did them twice a day, usually in the mid morning and then in the late afternoon.
For my 5 minute power walks, I walked at a moderately brisk pace with my head up and my shoulders back and chest out. I deeply breathed in and out and focused my thoughts on my breathe and surroundings. As the icing on the cake, I added intermittent smiling as a walked.
After the first day of trying this power walk, I was hooked. I did it everyday this past week, and it made a significant and noticeable impact on my mood and the quality of my day.
Why This Works
The practices of walking, deep breathing, smiling, good posture, and mindfulness all have many health and wellness benefits. Let's explore them briefly.
The benefits of short 5-10 minute walks include:
- Helps maintain a healthy weight
- Strengthens bones and muscles
- Improves mood
- Improves balance and coordination
- Increases creativity
Some of the benefits of deep breathing include:
- Reduces stress
- Aids in healthy sleep
- Improves blood flow
- Increases energy level
- Improves posture
- Reduces inflammation
- Stimulates lymphatic system
- Improves digestion
The benefits of the mere act of smiling (even forcing smiles) include:
- Lifts mood
- Reduces stress
- Boosts immune system
- Possibly prolongs life
Some of the benefits of maintaining an upright posture include:
- Increases self-esteem
- Improves moods
- Lowers fear of emotional threat
- Helps maintain a healthier spine and back
Finally, mindfulness and meditation are associated with many health benefits, which are explained in a previous post, and include improved mood, better sleep, lower stress, a feeling of calm, improved focus, increased compassion, and less worry.
The 5 minute power walk includes many elements of the practices listed above and is sure to have many of the same benefits. My subjective experience was very positive, and I will continue to do this everyday for the foreseeable future. As an added benefit, I noticed myself breathing deeply, having better posture, smiling, and being more mindful throughout the day as a residual effect of this simple habit.
Take The Better7 Challenge
The 5 minute power walk is definitely a micro-resolution worth trying. Try this for 7 days this week and make your own personal adjustments as needed. If you love it, keep on doing it. If you don't, try another micro-resolution. May you experience joy, health, and wellness this week.
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