Walking Can Save Your Life
If you are out of shape, deconditioned, or more seriously, struggling with metabolic issues like pre-diabetes, your body’s internal energy factories (called mitochondria) are essentially “crumbling” and as we all know by now the thematic repeat of the human body is “if you don’t use it you lose it,” but this could be the most dangerous “lose it” you ever face if you are pursuing a happy and healthy life.
When these energy factories are not working efficiently, your body struggles with everything. If you have ever seen “600 Pound Life” or any shows like it, one thing you will notice with almost every subject is that they describe a “constant state of pain.”
A metabolically broken baseline is equivalent to a conditioned individual maintaining steady state exercise. That’s why there’s a constant state of pain. Your body becomes “energy inflexible.”
This isn’t just a side effect of being overweight or inactive. It starts earlier with a lack of energy, focus, libido, and motivation. Slowly, you start to lose your will to live.
There is no magic pill to fix this. Exercise is the only medicine that actually repairs these energy factories. There is no shortcut here.
Specifically, you need to start with a steady movement.
This style of training is commonly known as “Zone 2 training.” Simply contracting your muscles through exercise can transform your muscles into “sugar sponges,” pulling excess sugar out of your bloodstream.
Step 1: Pick a steady movement activity
For most people starting out, a walk is perfect.
For others, a bicycle (especially an indoor stationary bike or elliptical) can be an excellent option. It really doesn’t matter what the movement is, as long as you can do it continuously (at first, you may do rounds, such as driveway walking, as needed).
Another one of my personal favorites is the sled (in all variations).
Step 2: Use the “Talk Test” to find your Zone 2
You do not need an expensive smartwatch or heart rate monitor to find your “Zone 2.”
Just pull out your phone and call a friend.
You should be working just hard enough to hold a full conversation, but the person on the other end of the line should be able to hear you breathing heavily and know you are exercising.
If you can chat completely effortlessly, you are walking too slowly.
If you have to stop speaking in full sentences to gasp for air, you are going too hard, and your body has stopped burning fat.
Step 3: Start small and build your endurance
Start with a manageable round/length of time for you.
You know where you are; just be honest with yourself.
If a walk up and down your driveway will get you out of breath, let’s start there.
The first day - start with 1. If you think it was too easy the next day, do 2. If it was tough, do 1 again.
Eventually, you will be walking for 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 minutes per session.
Your ultimate goal is to sustain a 60 to 90-minute walk per session.
Step 4: Aim for 3 to 4 days a week
The metric of improvement, especially at the beginning, is to reliably and consistently do this 3 to 4 times a week.
This is about repairing and rebuilding your metabolic health - 2 times a week will maintain your current level, and 4+ will increase more, but do not overdo it.
The goal is to do this every week for the rest of your life, so you have time to enjoy the process.
Step 5: Be patient and stay consistent
Beginners will see rapid improvements (in weeks).
The uncomfortable truth is that this is a forever project - you never want to not be able to walk for at minimum 60-minutes for the rest of your life. This is an investment in independence, freedom, and self-determination.
Becoming “energy flexible” is worth the investment for you and your future.
By doing this work for the long term, you can completely rewrite your future. Life can be full of happiness, opportunity, and adventure. Make the memories. Take the change and discover your will to live.
Yours in Endurance,
Michael Jordan Pilgreen
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