A couple of weeks ago my husband and I decided to take a walk by the lakefront in our hometown of Milwaukee. The reason had less to do with exercise and more about getting out of the house.
We had just experienced our firstborn child leaving the home. He left for basic training in Texas with the Air Force. We were left with a lot of mixed feelings.
Dealing with our emotions was difficult. At times we were even at odds with each other, which is why my husband suggested a walk by the lake.
For some reason being away from home helped us to refocus. We held hands and ended up walking for 50 minutes.
Because we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to do it the next night. That first week we walked the 50 minute path we had become familiar with four times.
This week we have continued to make it a nightly ritual. And let me tell you, already I can feel the difference.
Although I do exercise between 15 and 30 minutes every morning (depends on what I have going on that day), the additional exercise at night has helped in so many ways. First, it has reduced the stress I was feeling over our child leaving.
Second, it opened up our communication better. Being in a peaceful calm setting really made that happen.
Third, I am sleeping so much better at night after walking that long and taking in the fresh air. And lastly, I feel more energetic during the day and know that if we continue this, I will probably lose more weight than with just doing my morning fitness routine.
Have stress going on in your life? Need to get away with a spouse or a friend? Choose a setting that will bring calmness while you walk. You get so many benefits out of it.
Related Articles:
How to Make Walking a Fun Activity
Photo by paskelius in stock.xchng