How To Improve Your Health and Well-Being

A few days ago my lovely wife informed me that we were going to visit Kamikouchi, Nagano in the West of Japan for a few days. The idea is to go hiking around that mountainous highland valley within the HIlda Mountains range. That meant I had just a few days to get myself fit for what I anticipate will be an arduous trip.

Normally I try to keep reasonably fit by walking at least five thousand steps a day, plus a few kilometres of cycling and the odd game of tennis. Feeling that this was not enough for the trip I decided to triple that daily distance before we left.

I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. I realised that five thousand steps is nowhere near enough to remain fully fit. In fact, I need five thousand steps just to warm my muscles up. The first second 5K of steps, after a ten-minute break, turned out to be a lot more enjoyable. Also, due to advancing years (70) and a variety of age-related chronic illnesses (PMR/GCA), I am beset by bothersome morning aches and pains pretty much all over my tired body. However, like magic that has all disappeared since I started my new regime.

Even better, I have finally managed to see the weight loss I have previously struggled to achieve. After my first day of extra steps, my weight went down from 86.80 to 85.80! If I keep this up I should soon get down to the 80 kilos I want to be. Hopefully, I will hit that target whilst we are away hiking our way up and down the mountains. Then I shall return to base a renewed man. Just to put the amount of steps into some sort of context, it is worth remembering the following.

1. Zero to 5,000 steps are considered sedentary!

2. 5,000 to 10,000 steps is Low Active.

3. 10,000 plus steps are Active.

Of course, a good daily walk comes with all manner of other health benefits. Not only is it good for your physical health (the soft tissue, such as vital organs like the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, etc) it is also very effective in improving your mental and emotional well-being. So hopefully, I will be more than a physically new man. And who knows, maybe I can up my writing game a little too.

Walking? You can’t beat it. Get some in. If an infirm 70-year-old man can do it, so can you.