Walking into my best self
Hey friends.
As you know by now, I have found a new passion. And it's probably, to most people, a pretty boring topic. To me, it was the healing of my mental health and contributed towards my improved body confidence as well as a massive contributing factor to my postpartum weight loss. The thing is walking and before you disappear let me tell you how healing it can be to wake up after a night of breastfeeding a young baby and dealing with your night-time inner monologue (who, by the way, is a right cow) to wrapping up in your comfy athleisure wear, slipping on your comfiest trainers, strapping baby into their sling or carrier and heading out into the crisp morning. Each step, for me, dusts away the cobwebs of the night time and helps my mind forget my anxieties and becomes more productive and creative.
I didn't know this but according to BHF, when you walk, there's an increased flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to your brain. A protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also released, which stimulates the growth of new brain cells and connections. This can help your memory and brain to work better.* So it's not surprising that I feel more ready to take on the day after a walk. Plus I get all the extra oxytocin (also known as the love hormone) from having my baby boy tucked up close to me whilst I walk. Plus walking can release further natural chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, all of which contribute to our happy feelings!
Not for a minute am I saying that any kind of depression can be cured by going out for a daily walk. But for me it was a start. I walked as much as I could when I was pregnant and now at 8 months postpartum I can walk for miles with my baby strapped to me. It's even contributed so much to my cardiovascular fitness that I am able to run 5km without stopping to walk and I wasn't actually training to do that! But every time I did step outside, it was with intention to be present with myself, listen to a podcast that would further educate me and move my body in a way that was non-complicated and almost comforting.
It all started with walking after all. Before my son and after my marriage ended, walking and home workouts were all I had. I had not even considered entering a gym environment because frankly I didn't think I would ever had time. This was around the time my daughter and I lived alone and so by the time work was done and my daughter was tucked up in bed, I then couldn't leave to train. But circumstances changed and so did my routine and I was able to start heading to the gym too. But that journey in itself is a whole other story of empowerment! One we can touch on another time. Like I said, for a while walking was all I had, I'd go out and walk around the lake on my lunch breaks from work, I'd walk round my neighbourhood during my lunch breaks when I worked from home, I'd pop my daughter in her pushchair with her tablet and do a, hours walk in the evenings sometimes too. It all contributed towards me both feeling better and losing a substantial amount of weight.
I'm not saying that walking has some magical formula that makes you lose weight quicker. All I'm saying is that with a calorie deficit and the correct coach guiding you around nutrition and macros, walking can play a big part too. So if the thought of going into a gym environment is so daunting that you keep putting off your weight loss journey, you don't need to. You just need to put on some comfy shoes and move one step at a time. Oh, and hire a coach that's going to teach you everything she knows! That's me, and I'm looking for a team of women right now. Find me on Instagram and send me a message to get started on your journey.
As always, thanks for being here.
Love, Amber, xo
* https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/activity/6-surprising-health-benefits-of-walking
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