MBT - 30 Reasons to Walk

Drink!

Wow. I decided to do a Google search on the “benefits of hydration”. I need to do these little research projects now and then to re-motivate myself to do healthy things. If I forget the purpose, I lose motivation.

I’ve never been one to peer pressure people into drinking. In fact, most of my life’s work has been teaching kids to resist. Today, I challenge all of you to….CHUG!!!! ………..Water, that is.

Here are SOME of the benefits found:

A well hydrated body significantly reduces the risk of many cancers.

Enhances mental clarity – a drop by just 2% in body hydration effects memory and concentration. (Man, if only I had known this when I was in school)

Improves digestion – Fluid is essential for nutrients to pass through the membranes of your intestines. Irregularity is no match for a well-hydrated body.

Skin – Adequate hydration allows fluid to move through all membranes of your body so it’s largest organ, the skin, is kept soft and the aging process is slowed.

OK- Listen up, joint pain sufferers. Your body will prioritize water usage if you are not getting enough. Guess who gets cut from the supply first? Your joints! If a person is dehydrated, the water is drawn from the synovial fluid around their joints-leading to joint pain. The discs in your spine are a “hydraulic support system” to support the weight of your upper body. Lack of hydration can lead to serious back problems!

There are so many other benefits- too long a list to blog about. Basically all processes in your body need water to work, including fat burning.

Now here’s something really interesting. One study said that when we age there is a gradual decline in the thirst mechanism in the brain. We are more thirsty when we are young. Let’s look at the problems we suffer from as we age: mental degeneration, degeneration of our skin & hair, joint pain, irregularity, disease, vitamin and mineral deficiancies…….all things that are listed as results of poor hydration. Hmmmmmm. I’m parched.

Now juice, soda, coffee, anything caffeinated and alcohol are all diuretics and cause you to lose water. Drink PURE WATER. It’s cheap, it’s easy and it’s the best thing for your body.
Try to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 150 you should be drinking 75 oz a day. When you go out to eat, just order water. Keep refilling your water bottles and take them along every time you get in your car. Don’t pass a fountain or sink without taking a few gulps.

Just do it! Drink!…..What?…Are you afraid your Mom’s gonna find out? If you were my friend you’d do it!
Yes, consider yourself peer-pressured by me.

Mix it up!

I wrote about Walking, the New Running last week and I have not just kept walking daily, but actually started to add a lot more light jogging/floating onto my morning training routine.

It is a new year and we are all in the mood for change and challenges, so I said why not, let me experiment again. Instead of my daily brisk walk for 3-4 miles, I start my walk with a 1 mile light jog in my MBTs and pick up the speed fast. I then do a ½ mile very brisk walk which is the hardest to do as the legs want to drag after the jog, I have to really focus and get my body to do the brisk walk without turning into a stroll. I then pick up the speed again and really do a float and I actually feel I am floating, by then I am on my route home and the float feels even better. I would float for another ¾ mile and then brisk walk the rest of the way home, doing my movement meditation at the same time.

I have been doing this for 2 weeks and had concerns about how my problem knees and feet will hold up, so far, I am impressed, they have been doing pretty good, I could even feel my body tighten up more just because I added the jogging into my regular training routine (on top of my daily weightlifting).

Mix it up, folks; take up the challenge and thank you MBTs!

The Benefits Are More Than Physical

I dropped my mother off at the train station yesterday.  She spent 5 days with us and I was so thrilled about our “active” time together.   Prior to her arrival, I had planned a couple of outings which included a brunch, dinner and a movie.  She always likes to know what agenda I have planned for her!  This time though, she was on a “mission” to find a dress for a very important upcoming wedding.  We visited 4 malls, 5 department stores and I can’t even remember how many specialty shoppes, over 3 days.  If it weren’t for our MBT’s, we never would have had the endurance nor would have discovered all of our great “buys!”  We shopped and never dropped!

I always tend to think more about the physical improvements attributed to the MBT,  but realize it is even more than that.  Mom and I walked, we talked, we cried, we laughed……and never tired!  It was good quality time together.  We discovered lots of things over the past few days……….but one thing we did not, was that dress for the wedding!