Doctors are exposed to stress on a daily basis. A way to reduce this stress are daily walks, because walking brings many health and psychological benefits. Reduces stress, improves mood, provides synergy, provides good sleep, helps regulate body weight and prevents diseases.
PLX Academy · Personal Experience · 13 February 2022
5 GREAT REASONS TO GO FOR A WALK
Doctors, more than other people, are exposed to stressful situations. Every day, in interaction with patients, they experience and share various positive and negative emotions: uncertainty, anxiety, fear, etc. All this increases the level of stress, especially now when the pandemic itself brings risk to health circumstances. Therefore, doctors should be in the category of people who walk regularly. Walking not only reduces stress but also brings many other health and psychological benefits.
Wellness expert from the Cleveland Clinic, Michelle Rosen suggested:
1.Walking reduces stress, affects your mood and increases your self-confidence
If you went for a walk after a stressful situation you must have returned calmer and brighter. So, you know firsthand that walking is a great way to deal with stress. During the pandemic while juggling the roles you have at home and work, you are constantly under a time constraint and great stress. We are concerned about ourselves and the health of our loved ones.
We are worried about the economic situation and the negative emotions that constantly come to us. Simply, get out of the house and take a walk. Walking will help you a lot. It speeds up the pulse, reduces the level of stress, and reduces the chances of a stroke or heart attack. Studies confirm that walking improves mood, releasing endorphins in the body. With each walk, you can set a goal and once you achieve it, your level of self-confidence will increase.
2. By walking, you can lose weight
When it comes to a stressful profession, such as medicine, after a hard day, exercising indoors can be even more strenuous, usually in gyms, where there are a lot of people and very little fresh air. And we all have problems with weight, i.e. its variation, and we need to regulate it. Dr. Rosen advises daily walking for thirty minutes to lose weight without much effort. In addition to losing weight, walking is also good for your joints. If you are not fit, start with a 20-minute walk every day. Gradually, increase your walking time. It is optimal to walk for 30 minutes a day. Do not increase your maximum, more than 10 percent per week. When you are ready, increase the goal to 10,000 steps per day.
3. Walking lowers blood pressure, improves sleep and gives you energy
It has been proven that people who walk regularly are less likely to have heart attacks and strokes, have lower blood pressure and higher levels of HDL (healthy cholesterol). Walking can reduce the risk of cancer and improve the immune system as a whole. A particularly big benefit is that walking provides quality sleep and gives you energy while you are awake.
4. The walks are more interesting when you measure the steps with a pedometer
Tracking the number of steps with a pedometer or another application is very important for success while walking. People who use applications are always trying to increase the number of steps. That is because they want to continue to witness their success and enjoy the pleasure of doing more. To make the workout easier and more interesting, look for someone who also likes to walk. This is especially useful at this time when the pandemic imposes social distancing and avoiding visits. That way, Dr. Rosen suggests, you will reduce isolation and avoid frustration with things you could not have done before. In company when talking, you focus less on physical exertion while walking.
5. Walking regulates appetite
While walking, you probably have a craving for food. This is not good news for many who want to lose weight. The food you want tends to be high-calorie, fatty or sweet, and chocolate tops the list. Recent findings from the University of Exeter show that walking reduces cravings for sugar during and about ten minutes after a walk. But, not only that. Walking strengthens the heart and improves metabolism, which greatly facilitates weight loss. With a short walk you can regulate your blood sugar and cut it in half. As you can see, you will only benefit from walking so practice this activity regularly.