Thursday, August 7, 2014

Healthy Habit Building Tips to Improve Your Golf Game: #2 - Walk

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In May 2013, Golf Digest published a great article describing a 42 point, six week get fit plan – Click Here to see Golf Digest’s plan.

We’re expanding on the points and adding insights and perspectives. The list was authored by Ben Shear, who trains many of the game’s top players, including Luke Donald, Jason Day and Webb Simpson. Embrace his suggestions, and it won’t be long before you look better, feel better and, yes, play better golf.

“Walk. Walk more rounds. Walk to work. Walk to the store. Walk around the block. Walk the dog. Stand up from reading this right now and walk.”

Walking is a great, practical, functional way to build fitness. Man has been walking for millions of years. It was our only source of transportation for most of those years so we are built and well suited for the task. Walking is an essential human activity that has served us well since our ancestors got up on two feet. People in ancient (and some modern) cultures would spend many hours each day walking to get where they wanted to go. The modern advances in transportation technology and digital communication have reduced the amount of walking that we are required to do in our everyday lives so we should make a point to walk more.

Walking is easy, any healthy person can do and some that are not so healthy. Walk with your children, walk with your spouse, walk your dog, walk with your parents or even your grandparents. Enjoy the companionship of a brisk walk and talk. Those that suffer from arthritis can walk and can benefit from walking. Walking is an activity we can do when suffering from back problems and it can help with injury recovery. The elderly can walk and it can help with maintaining balance skills.

Walking is fun. Walking can help us see the work around us in a different way. We can walk places that cars can’t go. Take a walk on a trail through the woods, up a mountain through a forest, along the shore of the ocean or a lake. Enjoy a walk by clearing your mind and experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of the moment. If you can’t spare 10, 20, or 30 minutes (you should really examine your priorities), take your team with you and have a walking meeting – in a courtyard, out to lunch, or around the parking lot.

We have all the equipment we need. Look down at the ground. You already have the feet which have evolved into effective walking tools over millions of years. At most, you’ll only need a new pair of shoes. You also have the internal predisposition (genetics) for walking as a primary source of transportation.

Walking is a foundation of good health and fitness. It can help reduce body fat. It can improve and manage our “numbers” such as blood glucose and triglyceride levels in the blood. Walking can help elevate our mood and we can mediate while walking to clear the mind and stimulate the brain. We can use walk time as think time to develop new ideas or simply relax and let built up stress fade away.

Walking can have a significant positive impact on your health and you don’t need to spend 10 hours a week doing it. Most scientific studies showing the benefits have people walk for ten, fifteen, thirty minutes at a time. Click Here to read more on the benefits of walking.

You can find that much time each day. Walk a little farther at lunch. Park in the farthest space rather than searching and waiting for the closest space to the door. Take a quick trip around the block with the dog when you get home, she will love it and you will too. You can do it and you will thank yourself when you do.

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