Walking After Food

 WALKING AFTER FOOD

    The importance of the human health benefits of walking after food is contemplated. The physiological reasons may have been unknown, but physical activity – in its most basic form, has been in existence for a very long time.

Shasta Pawali

    Hippocrates, Greek physician, the father of western medicine wrote, “Walking is a man’s best medicine.” There is  a word Shatta Pawali in Marathi for their tradition of walking after dinner. “shata”,  means hundred, and “Pawali ”, means "steps", so this age-old custom of taking a stroll after a meal means “100 steps.”

    When Hildegard of Bingen was a saint, a German writer recommended walking — particularly after meals — more than 1,500 years after Hippocrates’ claim, her advice was hardly pioneering. This ancient wisdom regarding the benefits of movement is more important now that walking is not the primary form of transportation.

Walking is outdated

    Modern life is sedentary. Technology advancements, Immediacy of food, media, and communication come handy with compromise. That prove detrimental to overall health and wellness. The advancements were meant to improve our lives. It gives us more free time. But at the same time trappings and distractions that lend to a life lived inside, in recline, or in constant pursuit of a faster, easier way.

    The result is that modern living is an easy life, but not necessarily a physically active life. mostly, the evening meal often leads directly to reclining in front of the TV, or even bed. One small change you can incorporate today to improve your life is take a walk after every meal.

Care Before Walking

• Do not load belly full

• ¼ th stomach should be free

• Chew the food before swallow

• Do not lay down immediately after food

• Sit or recline for 30 to 40 minutes. 

• If you are reluctant to walk outside, walk within your room.

• Avoid brisk walking or jogging

Pace of walking

    Avoid brisk walking or jogging after eating may cause stomach ache and bloating. Walk for 5 to 6 minutes at a light pace. After a few days you can increase to 10minutes at a moderate pace. People should take their personal circumstances into account, and know that if they prefer to walk at different times of day, they are still reaping many health benefits.

Best free medicine

    In  modern living: “not enough time” is an excuse. For most people this is hardly the case; it is simply a matter of priorities. Walking after dinner is the best free “medicine” you can get. Studies indicate as little as 15 minutes of walking after a meal can lead to significant health benefits relating to digestion, metabolism, weight loss, blood sugar, mood, and sleep.

Benefits of Post meal walk

• Reduces gas bloating (irritable bowel syndrome)

• Stimulus digestive system 

• Common digestive issue

• Food moves fast from stomach to the small intestine

• Regulate blood sugar

• Supports mental health(reduces stress hormones)

• Improve sleep

• Lower blood pressure

• Lower LDL cholesterol

• Improving heart health

• Weight loss

• Calories burned

• Constipation(prevent or lesser)

• Colorectal cancer(-do-)

• Lower body fat.

Downside of walking

• Abdominal pain

• Fatigue

• Can cause digestive distress

• Diarrhea

• Nausea.

How Far, how fast

    Studies indicate that most of the benefits increase with the level of intensity and duration, but the most important factor is often the regularity of overall activity. The idea is to habituate a moderate, post-meal walk into your daily life first, and then work on increasing duration and intensity.

So, after your next meal, start your "Shatapawali", one step at a time.

 

 

Infinity Walking

 

What is infinity walking?

Infinity means vastness, unending.

    The infinity walk method also called figure "eight walking" is in fact a figure pattern a person must walk on, while keeping his/her eyes on an object or person and his/her head turned at a 90 degree angle ( It is possible after some practice). It has been used by US physical and occupational therapists in the rehabilitation of persons with brain injuries. It has been used developing multisensory integration in occupational therapy, including some clients with learning disabilities. 

    It is said that "Walking 8 shape" was invented by Tamil yogis about 5000 years ago. An alternative to a general outdoor walk which also serves as an Astrological remedy for Saturn is an ancient practice invented by Tamil Siddhis (yogis) from India called the “8 walk” or “Infinity walk”. As the planet, Saturn is a Vayu planet it can cause one to feel restless. By walking in a certain direction you are able to control that restlessness. So the 8 walk is a perfect remedy.

 

    Psychologist in New York “Deborah Sunbeck”, in the year 1980 conducted research and derived that ,It strives to improve the sensorimotor functioning of those who practice it. She also said that Infinity walk is used by clinicians in occupational therapy, physical therapy, developmental optometry and vision therapy, speech therapy and Neuro rehabilitation. Educators in some of the countries have brought  an infinite walk to their schools.

    Walking is a common recommendation by any health care professional with busy daily schedules, many of us have an excuse. It may be a justification from our point of view, but the body still needs a daily exercise routine to maintain proper health.

How to Walk 8 shape and its “Track” measurement

• 8 walking track measurement
• 8 shapes are formed by joining 2 circles.
• Approximately 6 or 8 feet diameter each in “South- North” direction.
• You can create this 8 Shape, preferably in an open space like garden, balcony, terrace, Car parking etc. At the least, you can do it in your living areas/ hall by placing 2 chairs at a gap of 3 feet and start walking in 8 shapes between the chairs.
• Practice this in the morning or evening, on an empty stomach. Preferable time is 5 to 6 AM/PM. (Not in the pinching  sunlight) and that too after 50 min of having food.  
• Start walking from south to north clockwise for 15 min and then anticlockwise for 15 min. Total 30 min(minimum 10+10 minutes) is good enough for a daily routine, but you can increase the timing based on your comfort.
• Walk on a bare foot (without shoes) and concentrate on the 8 shape while walking. You can do breathing or OM Mantra chanting while doing the walk. As you inhale more than 5 kg of oxygen, a substantial  quantity of oxygen is supplied to every  organ..

Benefits of 8 Walking.

    As you walk from the South – North direction, i.e. towards and against the earth’s magnetic field, the body gets energized  and activates  chakras and all internal organs for normal functioning. Due to the 8 shaped walking style, all your body parts like legs, ankles, knees, abdomen, hip, hands, shoulders, neck, head etc. moves in a twist and turn pattern. So it gives a very good physical movement to all parts of the  body when compared to regular walking. As you walk on barefoot, there will be pressure created at different points in your foot due to the contact with ground and  thereby activating all internal organs. Within few weeks  you see relief from any chronic disease (foot has the reflex acupressure points that are linked to the internal organ)

    Concentrate on the 8 shape while walking, avoid chatting with friends or use a mobile and that will ensure proper breathing. With regular practice you will notice  relief from  Headache, Digestive Problems, Thyroid, Obesity, Knee pains, Rheumatoid Arthritis, weight gain/ loss and constipation and many more. This walking helps in balancing blood pressure. It  also reduces sugar level in the blood and reverses your diabetes and its complication within a year of regular 8 walking. Helps you to calm down your mind and relieve stress .Refresh your body for daylong work. It’s easy and very convenient for aged people who can’t go out for regular walking.

    At its best, Infinity Walk is a self-motivating, progressively more challenging integrator of purposeful movement with sensing and perceiving; attention and sustained concentration; rhythm and timing; and, verbal, cognitive, relational, and reasoning skills. Consistent walking will fetch you an earlier positive result.

    Infinity Walk can be introduced as a playful game to children as early as age three. When it is, a child's readiness for kindergarten by age five is benefited. The enormous benefit of Infinity walking was felt important by the western countries and almost all educational institutions implemented the infinity walking. They included this in their curriculum as one of the subject. Infinity walk practice can be assisted by the use of children strollers, wheelchairs and therapeutic riding horses. For those needing some walking assistance the new infinity walk about handrail system offers adjustable height and width single or double assistive railing for practice of infinity walking. The new US patent protected railing system also allows older seniors to benefit from natural daily ambulation, and the infinity walk method with support close by throughout the figure 8 track.

Walking - relieve anxiety and depression.

 What is anxiety and Depression. .

Anxiety.

Intense,excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situation. Fast heart rate,rapid breathing ,sweating and feeling tired may occur.

Depression.

A group of conditions associated with the elevation or lowering of a person's mood,such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Life can be hard,because every individual copes differently with the everyday situation that it brings.It is difficult for few people to handle their anxiety and stress.  This situation leads to withdrawal from the outdoors and constraint to be indoors. But such people really need fresh air and need experience to grow and evolve.

Elevated stress levels produce hormones like cortisol and adrenaline with the fight or flight response. When they are not used,the excess harmonies seep Into the bloodstream. It raises blood sugar levels,and anxiety related disorders. If not taken some steps anxiety can lead to a host of other physical and mental health issues like COD,depression, alcoholism and substance abuse. People may think that others with anxiety are crazy or loud,not understanding the real fact that afflicted is going through. When a stressful situation occurs everyday, it's a problem.

 How to get rid of anxiety and depression 

It can be managed and lessened by walking daily, can ease your anxiety in a wholly inspiring way.Taking a daily walk can ease anxiety and stress.Thirty minutes a day can keep anxiety at bay. Walking provides the physical benefits of exercise ,also boosting emotional well being. The more you walk the more positive effects you'll experience.

It also can be managed and lessened with treatment, and various activities–including trekking the great outdoors. It  has been proven time and time again the benefits of outside exercise on the mind and body. Not only can it refresh your spirit, but a daily walk can also ease your anxiety in a wholly inspiring way. Ms.Teresita Calero,Psychotherapist at Baptist health care and counseling explains,receiving vitamin D' from the sun is also helpful to deal with bad mood depression.

When those with anxiety go without treatment and techniques to heal and manage their symptoms, it may seem like “the norm”–and healing is then pushed away further. Hopelessness, depression, and suicidal thoughts can start to sneak in, and anxiety begins to tighten its grasp. It is crucial that you take the necessary steps toward anxiety treatment in order to prevent the spiral from continuing downward

 Even a walk as short as thirty minutes every day (or as often as possible) can lower your heart rate, ease your anxiety, and relieve your stress–and it can also be quite scenic. Just as chronic anxiety and stress release excess hormones that wreak havoc on your physical and mental well-being, exercise (and walking, specifically) releases feel-good endorphins that serve as natural painkillers. These same endorphins help to balance out the adrenaline and cortisol in nerve-wracked systems, and promote a host of other health benefits.

Since it has been linked to anxiety, stress, and depression in serious ways, a daily walk can make a difference in that department, too. Even just five minutes of exercise–a light walk around the block, a very brief jog–can begin to reduce the negative and straining effects of those afflictions, but can also promote deeper and more consistent sleep patterns. When we get more sleep, our brains are more effective at protecting us and providing the mental clarity we need to get through our days, especially the stressful ones.  Studies have consistently shown that steady and regular exercise can reduce the risk of mental health disorders by up to twenty-five percent: that number increases the longer the pattern remains in place.

Few useful Tips

While walking , think about what is causing anxiety or making you depressed. By using this time to focus on other things,it can be a saving grace. 

Apart from quality treatment and therapy, a daily walk is beneficial to your nervous system apart from cardiovascular health and blood flow. Maintaining  a healthy mind-body connection is essential to treating both mental and physical diseases and disorders, and anxiety sits at the top of that list. Making time can seem difficult at first, but is possible:

Use a pedometer to track your steps, and set a manageable daily goal.

Try to walk at the same time every day to create a routine.

If you don’t have thirty minutes, five or ten is better than nothing!

You can get away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feel depression and anxiety. To gain confidence ,fix up a goal or challenges, even small one and try to achieve them which will boost your confidence.  The successful completion of a task relieves anxiety.

Physical exercise is a key component to your health–and can drastically reduce some of the symptoms associated with anxiety, stress, and depression.