Weight training is the greatest form of exercise.
The transformative effect it has on the body has no equal and it’s critical for mitigating the effects of both aging and our “modern” lifestyle.
But while there’s no substitute for lifting, it does have a perfect complement: walking.
A brisk walk might not be a momentous calorie burner (neither is weight training for that matter) but that’s a really narrow-minded way of looking at exercise.
Walking is special in that its a rare exercise modality in that it doesn’t dig a recovery hole. It actually lowers stress and enhances muscular and nervous system recovery.
So if weight training is a rocket then walking fuels the boosters.
It’s also one of the best if not THE best way to blow off steam.
Now, in the past I would pound the weights after a rough day to “exorcise my demons” and it always helped to bring me closer to baseline.
But as I’ve gotten older I prefer to burn off negative energy through walking outdoors as it’s more meditative.
By the time I’m back home I’m not only more relaxed but I’ve usually put whatever was bothering me into proper perspective.
Whereas after pounding the weights for an hour all pumped up on negativity I just feel spent. Like I left it all on the gym floor in a heap, good and bad, but not sorted in anyway. Just…done.
The biggest thing is I don’t like using something which has brought so much joy to my life in such a negative context.
My daily workout is always high point of my day: my time for self improvement, and my way of honoring (and maintaining) this invaluable gift of health and mobility.
A daily walk is so much more than just a way to bump up your step count.
— Bryan Krahn (@BryanKrahn) January 25, 2022
So these days when life gets annoying or idiots gonna idiot I go for a stroll in the sunshine.
Save the best of you for what’s best in life.
Bryan