“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”- Thomas Edison

When Hippocrates said that “walking is a man’s best medicine” he didn’t realise that thousands of years later many more benefits of walking way beyond his imagination would be discovered as we walk our way to great health. We often hear laughter being described as “the best medicine” but the health benefits of walking dwarf those of laughter.

MAKING A CASE FOR WALKING

1. Easy to do
   1. Walking is generally easy to do. No special skills needed. Get a good pair of walking shoes and comfortable clothing and you are on your way to great health. You may join the Health Essentials “Fit to walk challenge.”
2. Safe to do
   1. Walking does not involve a great deal of physical exertion. Many of us can walk even without clearance from our doctor. It is not as stressful to the body as many other exercises.
3. Walking; it makes business sense
   1. You do not need to buy expensive equipment, instructional videos et cetera in order to learn how to walk. Yes it may have limitations in terms of working your muscles and also having adequate space but there are many ways to get round these minor challenges.
4. Walking does not lack variety
   1. Walking is not boring. We certainly can spice things up by walking on flat surfaces, walking up slopes, interchanging walking at a brisk pace with a relaxed pace and even walking while carrying small weights.
5. Walking “in place” is possible
   1. You may not even need to step out of your bedroom or home to walk. Standing in the same place you can “walk” and benefit immensely just by moving your legs up and down. A real miracle, indeed.
6. Keeps the doctor away
   1. If we could pledge to walk briskly for at least30 minutes a day, five (5) days a week, then your long list of benefits will include:
      1. Weight control
      1. Blood pressure, blood sugar and bad cholesterol control
      1. Reduces heart attack risk
      1. Enhances stamina and energy
      1. Lessens anxiety and tension
      1. Eases back pain
      1. Slows down bone loss
      1. Manages the negative effects of arthritis
      1. Improves muscle tone
      1. Easy on your joints
      1. Reduces appetite (this is controversial but may result from focusing on a healthy habit hence being more conscious of what and how much you eat)

DOING IT RIGHT

Helpful tips that will make your walk more rewarding

1. Posture is key
   1. In order to get the most out of walking, good posture is crucial. Keep your head up and your spine straight and look straight ahead. Keep your arms and shoulders loose. Do look down occasionally to avoid possible road obstacles.
2. Take deep regular breaths
   1. DO NOT hold your breath
3. Walk, don’t run
   1. To get the most out of your walk you should keep a brisk pace but not fast. If it is difficult to breathe easily, slow down.
4. Stride
   1. Try to take long smooth strides. Your motion should be fairly effortless with your arms swinging at your side for balance.

Most people can walk even when they have major health conditions. It’s our normal way of moving from one place to another so just do it more often even if it means for two (2) minute sessions. Eventually it all adds up. Sometimes people dissuade diabetics from walking because it may affect their feet; that is a crime against humanity. Do walk if you are diabetic , after all you walk to achieve most of your activities of daily living; make sure you wear very comfortable footwear as you take this “miracle medicine” and inspect your feet before and after every walk.

Dear friends, even if you cannot afford a gym membership or you find exercising in a gym unduly stressful, start walking TODAY! You may need to challenge yourself later but that is a discussion for the future. Make walking a high priority activity.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo CobbaEssel

Health Essentials Ltd/ St Andrews Clinic/Mobissel

Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.

 Thought for the week–“STIGMATISATION has no place in fighting this pandemic. It will cause people to hide and not disclose their status, seek medical care late and reduce all the benefits of protocols. We should all be comfortable enough to tell our close contacts when we test positive for COVID-19 so that the proper measures are taken. This is extremely important if we have to win this fight.”- Dr. Kojo CobbaEssel

References:

1. Sportline – Walking Guide