Walking is Great Exercise, and it’s Free!

Having difficulty getting started on a fitness routine? No local gyms? No money in the budget for managing your health, fitness, and overall wellness?

How about adding more walking into your day? Walk your neighborhood. Hike in the woods or local parks, or try “nature bathing,” a topic for another post. Climb stairs in your home, apartment, or at nearby malls, offices, and other businesses. The options are abundant if one is motivated. Other types of exercise might offer more benefits than walking and are perhaps more appropriate for specific body types and issues. However, walking is the most available form of exercise that most people are already doing daily, to some degree. Walking can be therapeutic for some as a way to manage stress and anxiety, a much-needed tool in our current hectic society.

Here is a step-by-step method that offers some of the psychological mechanisms that can help someone to become motivated to get started with a fitness routine. By implementing the Self-Efficacy Theory (SET) I encourage any individual’s belief in their ability to perform specific behaviors relative to personal fitness and well-being. With the goal of increasing an individual’s health (young and old alike) through physical activities, I suggest expounding upon this goal by using appropriate, safe, and effective methods, such as walking. Why not implement more walking into your day? Consistent walking has many potential health benefits. Walking can help to increase overall physical health and mental well-being, as can be seen in adults of all ages who walk regularly. Some communities offer organized group walks where people can join and see others in similar health being able to engage in regular physical activity.

Once an individual becomes engaged in more simple and easily obtainable goals of walking activities, they can begin tracking and recording walking sessions on a daily basis. As the person increases their consistency of walking, they can gradually increase the distance and/or amount of time walking. As the individual sees their own progress increase through self-recording, they can further increase their own goals and consequently begin to achieve mastery in their own ability to maintain their health. Later they may invest in a fitness tracker, which could encourage more self-mastery of the individual’s health goals. Fitness trackers like Fitbit or Apple Watch can offer the person other ways to track not only their walking but also heart rate and calories burned in the process of walking. By acknowledging and celebrating their own achievements of specific goals, the individual again is receiving a feeling of mastery in their own achievements helping to instill their confidence and determination to continue further with their program of walking.

After some amount of time walking regularly, an individual will most likely begin to feel and experience somatic or emotional responses as they may feel less emotional stress after walking. They may even begin to feel the “runners’ high” where endorphins are released into their bloodstream, thus giving them a sense of temporary euphoria. By adding in some additional activities such as gentle stretching or warmup exercises at the beginning and/or end of each walking session, an individual may be able to better manage physical soreness, muscle tightness, or even emotional stress. As a person improves their own health, loved ones may offer emotional and maybe physical support if needed. An individual then may also begin to feel that others do indeed care about their health and well-being. This can further help them to become more intrinsically motivated to continue their exercise program knowing and believing that they can do it on their own but have more support if necessary. I think that all of the constructs that I discussed from SET and also with the self-determination theory (SDT), will give an individual over a short amount of time, the tools that they need to have more self-control, agency, and autonomy over their own health and well-being.

The Physiology of Walking for Fitness

Walking and other weight-bearing activities that engage the muscles in the feet, calves, and thighs illicit a pumping effect that aids in moving blood back to the heart. Rhythmic patterns of relaxation and contraction of these muscles, in addition to the movement of the ankle and toe joints, help to increase venous return and help prevent blood pooling in the lower extremities. Lack of physical movement such as walking and an increase in sitting within our modern American sedentary lifestyle, are major factors that are contributing to the drastic decline in physical and mental wellness of our population within the last decades. More sitting for hours on end at work, behind computer screens, playing video games, and engaging with social media are the norm now. In past years physical activity was more prevalent whether from occupations, recreation, social interactions, or other reasons. A return to a more active lifestyle is what is necessary to get our nation back on track for better health and wellness, instead of harsh pharmaceuticals for all that ails us (a pill for every ill), and pursuing living a life without consequences. We are the architects of our own well-being and relative health and happiness.

The venous plantar plexus of the foot, the venous pump of the calf, and the thigh muscle pump all work together as part of the venous return mechanism, which sends blood back to the heart. The venous pump of the calf, also referred to as the calf muscle pump, is a very important component of this whole mechanism involving the relaxation and contraction of the calf and foot muscles during specific activities such as walking, climbing, exercising, and others. The primary muscles of the calf muscle pump are the gastrocnemius and soleus. This engagement of the calf muscles compresses the veins and pushes blood upwards against gravity. The venous plantar plexus is a bundle of veins found in the sole of the foot, having a primary function of collecting deoxygenated blood from tissues within the foot and moving it back upwards towards the heart. Other muscles in the foot, such as the flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digitorum brevis, and lumbrical muscles, influence toe flexion and extension and consequently help with increasing blood circulation. Both of these mechanisms within the calves and feet contribute to providing efficient blood circulation back up to the heart, as well as preventing blood pooling (edema) in the lower extremities.

Nose-breathing while walking also helps the body to produce nitric oxide (NO) a now well-known messenger molecule that is produced in the nasal cavity and other tissues throughout the body and more specifically in the veins as arteries. NO increases blood flow through dilation of the veins and arteries.

References:

Parts of the figure were drawn by using pictures from Servier Medical Art. Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

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I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).

I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses and individuals that see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

Journey Through Utah’s Mighty Five: A Transformative Experience

Motivation: The Key to Transformation

Motivation played a critical role in my recent journey to hike Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks. With the right motivation, one can literally achieve new heights in mental, physical, and spiritual development. The desire to explore these majestic parks and push my limits fueled my determination. This motivation helped me overcome physical challenges, stay mentally focused, and experience profound spiritual moments. When properly motivated, the potential for personal growth is limitless. Visiting Utah’s renowned “Mighty Five” national parks—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion—was an adventure that profoundly impacted me on mental, physical, and spiritual levels. Each park offered unique landscapes and challenges that pushed my limits and transformed my perspective on life. Additionally, a hike to the Lower Calf Creek Falls in Grand Staircase-Escalante added a refreshing and memorable experience to our journey.

Preparation and Training

Before embarking on this journey, I increased the intensity of my physical training three months prior. Although I have been practicing and teaching martial arts, tai chi, and qigong for over 40 years, I knew that I needed further mental and physical strength. Consequently, I added in 1-1/2 hour weight training, treadmill, and stairmaster routines 5-6 days per week for 12 weeks. This preparation was crucial for building more stamina, and endurance, and aiding the rehab of an old injured ACL on one knee and a torn meniscus on the other. The rigorous training paid off immensely, allowing me to tackle the demanding hikes with confidence and resilience. Additionally, some other minor chronic aches and pains resolved themselves after a few weeks of this increased schedule. My martial arts training greatly helped me with my self-discipline, overall flexibility, and core strength.

Mental Renewal

Arches National Park: Home to over 2,000 natural stone arches, this park sparked a sense of wonder and creativity. The iconic Delicate Arch, standing alone against a backdrop of fiery sunsets, inspired introspection and clarity. The surreal landscapes made me reflect on the passage of time and the enduring beauty of nature’s creations.
Bryce Canyon National Park: The vibrant hoodoos—tall, thin spires of rock—stood like sentinels in the amphitheater. Hiking among these geological formations felt like stepping into another world. The silence and majesty of Bryce Canyon offered a space for meditation, helping me to clear my mind of everyday clutter and focus on the present moment.
Lower Calf Creek Falls: The hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls was a refreshing mental escape. The sound of cascading water and the lush, green surroundings contrasted sharply with the arid landscapes of the other parks. This serene oasis provided a perfect spot for contemplation and mental rejuvenation.

Physical Challenges

Canyonlands National Park: This vast park, divided into four districts, tested my endurance and resilience. The Island in the Sky region, known for its challenging terrain, pushed me to my physical limits. Navigating the rugged paths and towering mesas required strength and determination, reinforcing the importance of perseverance and preparation.
Capitol Reef National Park: Hiking the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the Earth’s crust, was a physical feat. The diverse trails, ranging from easy walks to strenuous climbs, improved my fitness and coordination. The sense of accomplishment after conquering these trails boosted my confidence and physical well-being.

Spiritual Awakening

Zion National Park: The soaring cliffs and deep canyons of Zion are awe-inspiring. We hiked the Narrows, wading through the Virgin River with towering canyon walls on either side, which was both a physically and spiritually invigorating experience. Additionally, the hike to Scout’s Landing, with its panoramic views, invoked a sense of humility and connection to something greater than myself. These trails offered a profound sense of peace and spiritual renewal.

Conclusion

The “Mighty Five” national parks of Utah, along with the Lower Calf Creek Falls, are not just destinations for outdoor enthusiasts; they are sanctuaries for personal growth and transformation. The mental clarity gained from Arches and Bryce Canyon, the physical challenges met in Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, and the spiritual awakening experienced in Zion have left an indelible mark on my life. These parks reminded me of the beauty, strength, and resilience inherent in nature—and within myself.

I encourage everyone to explore these natural wonders, not just to witness their breathtaking beauty but to embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Tips for Future Visitors

Preparation is Key: Ensure you have the right gear and physical conditioning for the hikes.
Respect Nature: Stay on designated trails, pack out all trash, and respect wildlife.
Take Your Time: Allow yourself to fully experience the beauty and serenity of each park.
Reflect and Journal: Take notes or journal your thoughts and feelings during your visit to capture the transformative moments.

Embarking on this journey through Utah’s Mighty Five is more than just a travel experience; it’s an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and the natural world in a deeply meaningful way. Feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions about this adventure or how to prepare to undertake the challenge.

Read my detailed gear and trip logistics review (JR Moltz) of our outfitter REI at:

https://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/namer/utah-adventure-vacation.html

I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).

Please contact me if you, your business, organization, or group, might be interested in hosting me to speak on a wide spectrum of topics relative to better health, wellness, and fitness.

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

Sculpting Wellness: The Transformative Power of Mindful Physical Activities

I have found the phrase “heal the body with the mind, heal the mind with the body” to be a root concept of learning how to tap into our innate ability to become mindful of our thoughts, emotions, and actions.

I have been on the mind, body, and spiritual path for over 40 years having started with martial arts, qigong, and other Eastern methods when I was 16 years of age. Consequently, I highly recommend any methods that encourage the practitioner to actively engage the physical body with cognitive thought processes simultaneously. These types of activities include martial arts, which may or may not have components of qigong and/or meditation, yoga, Pilates. Other seemingly less-exercise activities of drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument, wood-working and other skillful activities require the individual to deliberately think about their exact body positioning. I have found (and personally practiced) all of these methods with either slow or fast breathing patterns that can put the practitioner in a meditative or mindful state of self-awareness.

I have learned that the thought processes that are involved with the holding of physical postures along with regulated and managed breathing, regardless of the prior mentioned methods, engages specific muscle groups while simultaneously engaging the nervous systems. Either the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest response) is engaged with slow rhythmic breathing or the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) with a more rapid rhythmic breathing cadence. Either of these processes can change the blood chemistry to promote healing on different levels.

I have also learned to practice qigong, tai chi and other martial arts exercises with specific music consisting of bells, chimes, and other percussion instruments with the exact purpose of slowing (or sometimes increasing) the heart and breathing rate in order to enter into a meditative state of being and higher self-awareness. Music is another means to tap into regulation of our nervous systems by way of the auditory and even tactile senses. Think for example the difference of how your body feels when listening to hard rock versus that of calming sounds of rain, waterfalls, birds, the wind, etc.

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I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

How to Increase Hand Grip Strength – No Gym Required

Most people do not exercise, only about 25% of the US population. Of those that do, very few exercise for specific outcomes beyond building muscle strength, cardiovascular health and maybe some light stretching for flexibility and range of motion. What about exercising for breath control, vestibular balance (inner ear), symmetry of left/right. top/bottom, inside/outside, coordination, mobility of the fingers and toes? Most people just don’t put attention to these areas until they start to have issues and then they might look into addressing these imbalances. Very important but often neglected is hand grip strength. When the hand grip is weak, people are less likely to hold onto weights during weight training, so they begin to avoid this type of exercise. A weak grip affects the ability to grab onto something stable when losing one’s balance or falling. A weak grip makes it harder for someone to be independent as they become more and more insecure in themselves and depend more upon others to lift groceries, grandchildren and typical everyday tasks. The below exercise are free, simple albeit effective for those committed to the time and effort required to gain the benefits. Start with a few repetitions, eventually building up to sets of 100 or more. These exercises are safe when practiced correctly with the toes, knees and hips always lined up one atop another with no sideways stress on the knee joints.

Unique to these exercises, is the body posture combined with the correct hand and arm positions, and the extra awareness required to keep the lower body stable while also maintaining the correct body alignments. By squeezing the hands into fist and then opening them moving only the hands and wrists, the fascia trains, the nervous, muscular and skeletal systems are all engaged throughout the entire body. Try to hold the static position while performing the wrist exercise, from steps 1, 2, 3, 4 and back to 1 for consecutive repetitions. Holding the stance generally develops overall strength where as repetitive wrist positions develops stamina, endurance and determination. Relax the body into the positions in spite of any tension in the muscles. Deep and relaxed breathing is essential while performing this exercise. Try 10x each, building to 20x, 30x, 100x 300x. Yes, this is achievable gradually over time and with much effort.

Variation #1; Arms to the sides, engage the muscles of the pectoral, shoulders, and upper back at different angles increasing strength in many directions.

Variation #2; Using either/both of the above arm directions, sink the hips into a horse stance. High , medium and low positions of the hips will greatly increase the difficulty and strength building benefits of this exercise set. Additionally, attempting to stay in this lower body position in spite of the cramping, pain and discomfort, this is a method to develop strength of the nervous system due to so many innervated muscles being engaged at the same time. In energetic practices from martial arts, daoyin and yoga, this practice is called “burning of the chong mai” in reference to the thrusting energy vessel (meridian) that extends from the base of the tailbone upwards towards the top of the head.

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I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lecture about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercisesMind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47QoJim Moltzan407-234-0119www.MindAndBodyExercises.com www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Box Breathing: A Method to Manage Stress

So much inner conflict, anxiety, depression, PTSD. We have tools to combat this that don’t include pharmaceuticals, therapy or other harsh interventions. Americans have been conditioned (operant conditioning, B.F. Skinner) to rely upon others for their own well-being, health and happiness. Happiness comes from within. Most figure this out at some time in their life. Never for some.

Learning to manage our own breath, leads to managing our emotions, which affects our blood chemistry, relative organ function and overall health. Box breathing and other methods cost nothing but time, effort and a realization that our nation’s healthcare crises can be improved when people take responsibilities for their own health and relative outcomes.

From a report from the White House:

“There are several indications that Americans were experiencing a mental health crisis prior to the pandemic. Between 2008 and 2019, the percentage of adolescents (ages 12 to 17) that reported having experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year increased nearly 90 percent, from 8.3 percent in 2008 to 15.7 percent in 2019, while the percentage of young adults (ages 18 to 25) reporting at least one major depressive episode in the past year increased a similar 81 percent from 8.4 percent in 2008 to 15.2 percent in 2019 (Figure 1). Over roughly the same period, suicide death rates among individuals 10 to 24 years of age increased 47 percent. Although rates of depression were highest among adolescents and young adults, more broadly in 2019, over one in five adults age 18 or older were classified as having a mental illness, and more than 13.1 million (or 5 percent) of adults had disorders that were classified as serious because they substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities. Rates of mental illness were highest among those age 18 to 25, females, and those reporting their race as other, as shown in Figure 2.

Among children age 3-17, the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders from 2013 to 2019 were ADHD (9.8 percent), anxiety (9.4 percent), behavioral problems (8.9 percent), and depression (4.4 percent). These disorders often begin in early childhood: approximately one in six U.S. children age 2-8 had a diagnosed mental, behavioral or developmental disorder.”

Deeper breathing is a key component to having a long and healthy life. Through focused and deliberate breathing methods, many positive mental and physical benefits can be achieved. Box breathing is a technique to slow one’s breathing rate per minute (BPM). Slower BPM allows precise self-regulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, also referred to as the or the “rest and digest” response or the sympathetic nervous system also known as “flight or fight” response. Both of these responses regulate our blood chemistry which can affect emotions as well as organ function. This technique needs to practice regularly and often in order to gain the benefits of deep and regulated breathing. One time will not do much.

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Tai chi, qigong, martial arts, meditation, yoga and some other exercise curriculum often offer box breathing techniques and many others. I have been practicing, studying and teaching these methods for almost 40 years with incredible results for myself and the hundreds of others that I have shared this knowledge with.

Reference:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2022/05/31/reducing-the-economic-burden-of-unmet-mental-health-needs/