Walking for Health
Walking is the most beneficial, easily-achieved, low-impact activity you can do to improve and maintain your health. Being massage professionals in Jackson Hole, it is part of my goal as a blog-writer to give my opinions on health-related matters.
Walking at 89
I was speaking with my father recently – he’s 89 and still doing very well indeed – both mentally and physically. He attributes the physical part of it to walking on a daily basis – and we’re talking about three to four miles. Although he was both a boxer and a rugby player for Scotland’s University of Glasgow – he gave those sports up in his 30’s – and took to walking ever since. Having an active Labrador dog (her name was ‘Eilidh of Stuarton’ – Nell for short) was good reason to go walking every day. Even after the dog passed-away, my mother and father found themselves addicted to walking and have kept it up into their very old age.
And that has passed on down to me – and I take credit for passing it on to Rochelle. If I don’t get my work-out in the gym every day, or go skiing or cycling – I go for a walk. In fact, you’ll often find me walking after a good day of skiing just to unwind and relax my muscles. Besides, walking is a great way to catch up with your significant other, get some fresh air and aerobic activity together while you chat about things – or just keep quiet and enjoy the scenery.
The beauties of walking for health are: 1) It’s free – well – maybe it wears your shoes out -, 2) It requires no special skills – anyone can do it, 3) Initially, walking requires no pre-determined level of fitness – start out slow and short distances – and build on that, 4) It is easy on the body – unlike the jarring to the knees, hips and spine of, say, running, 5) It is sociable – chat while you walk along, 6) It gets you fresh air in your lungs, 7) It requires no special gear or equipment or specific place (like a golf course or a ski hill).
Often, the best time to get a massage, is after a walk – when, bodily and mentally, you are relaxed and your muscles easily receive the massage therapist’s work.
Be well,
Hamish and Rochelle
