A big part of living a Practical Beautiful Life and biohacking the aging process is MOVEMENT. The adage, “Use it or Lose It,” is true. Feeling and looking sexy and beautiful is an inside job. The healthier we are, the more our inner beauty comes through. AND not just in a theoretical or soulful kind of way. Movement and exercise have been shown to improve the condition of our skin and make us look younger, even if we start later in life! So get moving!
One of the simplest and most effective ways to increase our beauty from the inside out is walking! I started walking on a daily basis 5 years ago while I tending to a broken heart. Walking was part of my self-care plan to heal. Much to my surprise, my body, heart, and skin improved.
How is this for miracle prescription? Walking has been shown to reduce and maintain weight loss, strengthen bones, tone muscles, improve our emotional state and can cut the risk of stroke by as much as 20%. It also can be used as part of an effort to reduce blood pressure and significantly decrease the risk of Type-2 diabetes. Exercise has also been shown to improve the condition of our skin and make us look younger, even if we start moving and exercising later in life! So get moving!
Walking 10,000 steps is an excellent, low-impact way to bring movement into your life. Use the 10,000 steps to listen to a good book or podcast. Or, as your walking, repeat a mantra to support and nourish your soul. You can break it up into small segments throughout the day. I like to walk 5k steps in the morning, or at lunch, and then add additional steps throughout the day. I stop working every hour or so to take 10 minutes to do things around the house and home office. When I go to the store or to a meeting, I park a good distance away to add steps. I make it a point not to multitask trips that require me to walk. I make multiple trips outside to put food-related garbage in the outside bin (Compost bin in CA) instead of throwing it in the kitchen garbage. It all adds up. Walk with the kids or dogs. Meet up with a friend or your partner to talk and walk. If you’re in a really hot or cold climate, walk at the mall.
Yoga, dance, and interval strength training are also great forms of movement. Take time to be in your body and notice what it is to be the beautiful gorgeous you.
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