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Cushy isn’t always better as supported by a Harvard University study on . According to the study’s findings, wearing cushioned running shoes may increase your likelihood of injuries while running.
The study suggests that people will suffer less running-related injuries by wearing minimal footwear. Figures aside, the theory does make sense. Humans evolved running and walking barefoot. Cushioned running shoes have been around less than 40 years, hardly time enough for humans to evolve to their use.
The movement to promote a has been around for awhile. Practically and for health concerns, barefoot walking isn’t always possible. However, make it possible for you to experience barefoot walking and its benefits without worrying about where you step.
At home, I typically do not wear shoes. I find this new evidence compelling and will definitely replace my next pair of shoes with ones that promise a more natural experience.
How often do you catch yourself saying that you’ve hit a wall, maybe you’ve run out of options. The current problem hovers over you, with no solution in sight.
What’s worse is that you’re getting stressed. You feel it. Your heart is racing a bit. For some unknown reason, you feel spacey. You’re having a hard time focusing. You need a solution and you need it yesterday. Each day the problem lingers, you feel it get heavier and heavier.
When a problem looms like this, other tasks will suffer unless you fix it. Chances are somewhere, deep inside of you, there is a solution. You know what to do. There is wisdom and understanding inside of you. Other distractions and noise are just preventing you from hearing what your inner voice is trying to tell you. You need a walk.
As Hippocrates so astutely observed, walking is indeed the best medicine. It cures all ills. Take that problem you have to solve. A long walk on maybe a nice wooded trail is just the cure. You want to be out at least 15 minutes, preferably on a trail so you don’t need to think about where you’re going or dodge traffic. You need time for the inner noise to settle down. Right away your mind will recognize this opportunity. All those lingering thoughts will vie for attention. This is the time to wander.
Let your thoughts wander over your mind’s landscape. Given a chance, they will find places to settle. The less important stuff will slip away. More likely than not, the problem you want most to solve will take center stage. Give it a voice. While you may not want to indulge in self-pity talk with a good listener, you can soothe your own feelings. Sometimes, try as we may, we just can’t make another person understand exactly what our situation is. No matter. You have the answers.
Walking creates a meditative atmosphere. You’ll eventually get into a rhythm of stepping forward, swinging your arms. Pretty soon, those other distractions fall into silence. It’s now just about you, the walk, and a solution.
Your subconscious mind is pretty smart. It sees your situation and the possible outcomes. It looks at things from all angles. Soon, it will whisper its thoughts—and its solution. Listen for it between your foot steps.
When tackling problems that are not easily solved, sometimes the best solution is to take it outside. Let your feet guide you to a problem solved.
It can be hard to fit in a workout, especially if you’re working full time. Undoubtedly, you’re exhausted when you get home, mentally and physically. Exercise is probably the last the thing you have on your mind.
I find myself in that same situation with my part-time job. I pull 10-hour days, two days out of the week. Needless to say, I am so wiped out those nights. Rather than despairing about not exercising, I wear a pedometer each and every day.
Exercise doesn’t have to be a formal workout session. Your activity during the day counts too. The good thing about wearing a pedometer is that you have a measurable means of tracking your activity. You can see the steps you’ve taken, the miles you’ve walked. I like to keep track of my steps on a spreadsheet. That way, I can detect changes in my patterns. I can identify the days I need to work on my activity level.
Last week, I walked over five miles each of those two days at work. Five miles any day is a good workout. Rather than lament that I was at work all day, I can be happy that I was able to squeeze in some exercising.
