The Joy of Exercise

Probably the most neglected of all activities that can build health and fitness, walking can be tremendously enjoyable no matter what your physical condition. The rewards are many, varied, and immediate. There are the delights of feeling fresh pure air entering your body, the tingle of a cold morning, the wind and rain on your face. You can become absorbed in the sights you see—wild honeysuckle on a summer evening, the antics of birds, the fascinating patterns made by water, the power of the wind, the delightfully absurd goings-on of other people, the sounds and smells. Such things, if you have the eyes to see, can engage your mind and dissolve your sense of time and thoughts about stressful aspects of your life.

As with most physical activities, the rewards of walking are directly related to the effort you make doing it and to the spirit in which you do it. A gentle stroll without purpose or a grudging constitutional with the dog will do little for you. But taking a brisk walk with good will and a sense of purpose while breathing deeply will put a glow on your skin and help improve your posture, the condition of your muscles all over, and your circulation.

If you choose walking as an aerobic activity, make a date with yourself to spend thirty minutes a day at it. It doesn’t matter what you wear as long as it is comfortable and unrestricting. But you do need a good pair of sturdy shoes. They should be stout so that they give you a feeling of security and reliability over even the roughest and wettest ground; thick rubber soles are particularly good because they both grip and act as shock absorbers. Natural fiber socks are better than the synthetics because they are more absorbent. You needn’t be deterred by wind or weather either; walking in the rain, provided you are well dressed for it, can be a delight. A lightweight wind- and water-proof jacket is a great help.

Start off walking briskly—fast enough that you will be a little out of breath. Feel the rhythmic movement of your body and the way your legs swing freely from your hips. Get into the swing of it all, then after the first week or two increase the time you spend to forty-five minutes and vary your pace. Try not to walk over flat ground all the time—the hills and valleys, the ups and downs are what bring real physical rewards.

Walking regularly can bring fitness slowly but surely without ever taking a pulse or timing anything. A walker can measure her progress by self-observation alone. Ask yourself how you feel and compare your performance walking with that of six weeks or a few months earlier. You will notice that very soon you are walking faster and farther. More important, you are getting ever greater pleasure from the time you spend on the roads and pathways so that before long you won’t want to let anything interfere with your daily exercise. You will also probably notice that work has become less of a burden for you, perhaps that you sleep better, think more clearly, and feel more emotionally balanced.

Another good thing about walking is that no matter where you are living or visiting, there is always somewhere interesting to go. In town there are always parks and recreation areas, and even industrial areas can be fascinating in the early mornings or late evenings when the air is relatively free of pollution.

Build Health and Fitness: Hit the road

My favorite aerobic sport is running. One of the main reasons I was determined to try it was that running was the one sports activity I did at school at which I was no good at all. Running my first mile was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but now that I have been running for a year, covering as much as eight miles at a time, I have quite literally developed a passion for it.

I decided to run because I had read all about the psychological benefits of running and because, after several years of being somewhat a lounge lizard (apart from mountaineering, swimming, and sailing), I felt I needed to get fit somehow. I began one cold November morning at five. It was the only time, apart from the middle of the night, when I could be relatively sure that there would be practically nobody on the roads. I did not want to be seen. Mustering all the courage I could, I made a dash through the front door, up the drive, and along the street. I went about fifty yards before I felt that I would die from the exertion and had to stop and walk.

It wasn’t my legs, it was my lungs—I just couldn’t get enough air. I walked panting for another fifty yards or so and then resumed my jog. I found I could sustain the running for just about the distance between one set of lampposts, then I would walk between the next. In this way I finally completed my circuit—the mile distance (I had measured it by driving it in my car) around a large cemetery near my house and then home again. I arrived home exhausted, dispirited and depressed.

The next day I found a hundred reasons why I should not repeat my performance. But something, I’m not quite sure what, had got hold of me. And when 5 A.M. came around again there I was, with aching hips and ankles, ready to submit myself to the same torture. I did just as badly.

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Category: Bodybuilding, Exercise, Fitness, Sports

Tags: running, time, walking, wind