Since March, I wake up earlier.
Before that time, I usually went to bed at 11pm. and of course I woke up between 7:00 and 7:30 am.
Then for some reason, no matter what time I went to bed, I started waking up spontaneously between 5:30 and 6 am. Consequently, I also moved my bedtime earlier.
Not sure why the change was made. maybe it’s my circadian rhythm that changes in middle age.
When I started waking up early, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I mostly read and took care of admin work before the rest of the family woke up.
But then, in early May, I decided to go for a two-mile walk right after I woke up at dawn. Why; I do not know. It was mostly something to do. I also knew I needed to walk more. I have a very long sitting job as a blogger/podcaster. I read, write and answer emails for hours every day.
I’ve had many podcast guests talk about the research on how bad a sedentary life is for your health — even if you’ve made time for regular, strenuous exercise every day like I have for more than 15 years. An hour of dedicated exercise each day can’t make up for sitting on your butt for the rest of your waking hours.
So I thought I’d use my newfound time in the morning to get more moving and put in my steps.
I had zero expectations or specific health goals when I started my daily walking habit.
But soon I could tell from both my personal observation and the fitness trackers I use (Oura ring and Apple Watch) that it was creating some positive changes in my health.
Here’s what happened after a month of my morning walking routine:
My daily steps increased.My daughter Scout likes to check my Apple Watch stats every night when I carry her inside. In March, he looked at my daily steps and saw that they were consistently in the 4k to 5k range. “Dad, you really don’t move much during the day,” she remarked. “You’re kind of a piece.
They were condemned!
Since I started walking every morning, I usually take 12,000 to 15,000 steps a day. Much better. The boost didn’t just come from my morning walk. this habit also had the unintended benefit of making me move more in general. I will take occasional 10 minute walk breaks throughout the day just because I like the feeling of walking. I also get the Boy Scout vote of approval every night when he looks at my watch.
Successful!
My resting heart rate dropped. Resting heart rate has been shown to be a good indicator of overall fitness and cardiovascular health. A lower resting heart rate means your heart is working more efficiently. Higher resting heart rates have been associated with cardiovascular disease.
A normal resting heart rate for adults is between 60 and 100. Well-trained athletes have a resting heart rate closer to 40.
Before I started walking in the morning, my resting heart rate was usually between 60 and 55. Not terrible.
But after a month of daily walking, my resting heart rate started hovering around 45 — closer to the level of elite athletes. And I got there just by walking leisurely for 35 minutes every morning.
My heart rate variability increased. Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in the time intervals between successive heartbeats, reflecting the regulation of the heart by the autonomic nervous system. You really want a lot of variation in your heart rate. High HRV indicates a healthy balance between the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) systems. People with high HRV are less stressed and more physically and emotionally resilient. You can perform better physically and mentally when your HRV is high.
Low HRV indicates that your body is under stress due to factors such as fatigue, dehydration, overwork or illness.
Physical exercise, such as walking, lowers your HRV by enhancing your parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system activity. Physical activity also helps your body manage overall stress levels and improves blood flow, two factors that also contribute to lower HRV.
Before I started walking every morning, my HRV fluctuated between 36ms and 40ms — not great. It now hovers between 45 and 55 ms. An improvement!
My V02 max improved. VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during intense exercise. It is a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Higher VO2 max values indicate a greater ability of the heart, lungs and muscles to use oxygen, reflecting better overall levels of fitness and endurance.
You can improve your V02 Max through consistent HIIT or steady state cardio. The only cardio I’ve done this month is walking every morning.
According to my Apple Watch, in early May, my estimated V02 max (emphasis on estimated, I’d have to do an actual V02 max test to get an accurate reading) was 38.5. Today it’s 42. It’s only a small change and there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but the walk every morning seems to have helped!
I sleep better at night. While I still wake up earlier than I used to, my sleep overall has improved since starting the morning walking habit.
According to my Oura ring, I fall asleep faster and have more deep sleep and REM sleep. During deep sleep, your body releases hormones to help you grow and recover, and your brain flushes out toxins. REM sleep is when we dream, and as we’ve discussed on the podcast, our brain uses dreams to consolidate memories and make sense of all the things we experience while awake.
I believe the morning walk has improved my sleep in two ways. First, walking is a great way to increase your sleep pressure. Physical activity helps create adenosine in your brain, which makes you sleepy. The more adenosine you have built up during the day, the sleepier you feel at bedtime. By the time it’s 10 p.m., I’m ready to hit the hay, and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out.
Morning walks probably also helped my sleep thanks to the exposure to early morning sunlight. Exposure to sunlight helps regulate our circadian rhythm. Research shows that exposure to the sun first thing in the morning can get your circadian rhythm in a good groove so you’re ready to sleep when you go to bed and have better quality sleep when you do.
I’m in a better mood. We’ve talked about how physical activity is the antidote to both anxiety and depression. It’s all thanks to the endorphins that are released when you move your body.
I have noticed an improvement in my mood. I just feel better on my morning walks.
I’ve lost some weight. From January to March, I bulked up to go from 185 to 200 pounds. In April, I started cutting calories to get through my summer. The goal was to get back down to 187 pounds. Why 187? I feel and look good at this weight. In April, I was able to drop five pounds just by cutting calories each week. In May, I continued to reduce my calories slightly each week, but added to my daily walks. I was able to drop the remaining 10 pounds in just four weeks and never felt hungry because my calories didn’t drop like crazy. The combination of calorie restriction with the increased energy expenditure from walking supercharged my weight loss.
Lower heart rate, increased HRV, improved V02 max, deeper sleep, better mood and reduced body weight.
Solvitur ambulando. It is solved by walking. Damn straight.
I can’t recommend taking a daily walk enough. My two miles take about 35 minutes. With just 35 minutes a day, I was able to make some very significant improvements in my health in just a month. A small change in your daily routine will bring you many benefits.
If you haven’t started a regular exercise routine because you feel like you don’t have time or because you think you have to do a really hard, strenuous workout to get the benefits of exercise, try walking two miles every day.
Short on time or not up for two miles? Then run a mile. Something is always better than nothing.
Think you’ll get bored? Listen to a podcast (may I recommend AoM?). Improve your mind as you gently but significantly improve your body.
