Morning Walk | Episode 1 | One Simple Thing | Optimists Wellness

00:00:00 – 00:04:18

We are all mortal who wants to improve our health and wellbeing with one simple thing without any hassle, but what is the right advice? Is it a vigorous workout? or drinking bacteria to develop mental health? Welcome to the Optimists podcast, I’m Dr. Priyanka, and this is “One Simple Thing.” Here you will learn just one simple thing to improve your health in ways you might not expect. 

What if I say you can have better sleep, boost your immune system, or lower your diabetes or even lower your heart disease risks? You guessed right with the title; an “early morning walk” would be your answer. 

Walking has benefits, be it day or night, but an early morning walk has some added advantages. A brisk 30 minutes walk within 2 hours of waking up with the early natural light on your face can significantly help you. Do you want to know the science behind this? 

Early morning walks alert our brain and body that the day has begun. Generally, the light helps our internal body clock reset, notifying the body when to sleep or wake up. Exposure to sunlight also suppresses melatonin hormone production. What is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone that encourages us to go to sleep. Exposing yourself to bright early sunlight will reduce the melatonin production straight off, make you feel wide awake, and make your internal clock straight for you to sleep faster at night. But if you are struggling to sleep at night, it might be because you are not getting enough bright light. The earlier you have exposure to daylight, the better you sleep at night. 

The typical problem with our internal clock is that it doesn’t run for 24 hours; it could be run a bit longer. The bright early sunlight resets our clock every morning, and for some reason, it’s particularly beneficial. When our body’s rhythm is out of sync, it may cause bad mood swings, lack of concentration, or even depression. 

And it’s not always your melatonin levels; early daylight also triggers the release of serotonin, a natural mood booster that makes us feel good. You can also call it the “natural mood booster.” It’s so powerful that it can reset your brain’s chemistry and possibly change how you look. 

Do you want double the benefit? Who doesn’t? Walking brisker can give you double the advantage like protection from cardiovascular disease. So being a bit quicker can be even more beneficial. 

So what is brisk walking? You can feel your heart beating; you feel yourself warming up and breathing faster than usual but comfortable enough to carry on a conversation. Like you can talk, but you can’t sing; that’s where you should draw your line while brisk walking. Protip—listen to some fast-beat songs to boost your pace while walking. 

And yes, you don’t particularly have to walk on an empty stomach; you have already been fasting for the entire night. It’s important put something in your stomach before your morning walk. 

Remember, there is a massive difference between slow 10,000 steps and brisk 10,000 steps. Go get yourself some brisk steps starting tomorrow. So, chop-chop; it’s about time you set your alarm to reset your body’s internal clock. 

That’s our one simple thing to include in your daily routine to improve your body and life. Join me next time on “One simple thing” to know one more simple thing for your better tomorrow.