Get Moving With Interval Walking

What do you do when you’re feeling stuck in a rut?
 
It doesn’t matter if it’s fear, overwhelm, confusion, or cognitive fatigue holding you back. 
 
There is one MOVE that can help you start moving forward again.
 
Move Your Body.
 
It’s the best bang for your buck when you’re stuck.

Why?
 
Physical activity is the number one way to manage stress and complete a stress cycle. 
 
It’s also going to bathe your brain in BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). 
 
A protein that is essential for the survival of neurons (cells that make up the brain).  It protects the brain from ischemic damage (damage from lack of oxygen), degeneration (deterioration) and promotes long term memory. 
 
Just 20 minutes of any kind of physical activity can boost BDNF levels and improve learning, energy levels, memory, MOOD, focus, even your creativity.   
 
Stop beating yourself up or trying to figure out why you’re stuck.

Start moving and your brain & body will know what to do.

Although any form of movement works, one of my favorite moves when I’m feeling stuck is to take a walk.
  
POWER MOVE:  Make it Interval Walking.  Research shows it IMPROVES:

• BLOOD SUGAR for those with Type 2 Diabetes better than just walking 
• BLOOD PRESSURE with 34 minutes of interval walking
• CREATIVITY by 60% compared to sitting. Walking helps you rethink a project or problem from another viewpoint because it elevates mood (bonus!) and improves novel ideas. It can help change the perspective or creation of new ideas.  Once you sit back down, creativity continues for a short period. 
• BDNF LEVELS: vigorous-intensity exercise causes muscles to produce lactate which crosses the blood-brain barrier and is a signal to the brain to produce BDNF.​

HOW TO INTERVAL WALK*: 

1. Walk to warm up for 3 minutes at an intensity of 1. You’re just getting the blood flowing.
2. Increase your effort to intensity of 3 (breathing deeply but can still hold a conversation) for 3 minutes. Another way to figure out the brisk walking pace is hitting 100 steps in a minute.
3. Ease back down to intensity of 2 for 3 minutes.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for 30 minutes. If that is too much at first, build up to 30 minutes over time (i.e. do 5-10 minutes your first workout and build from there or 1 cycle then 2 cycles to increase your workout time, etc.).​

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MODIFY TIP: If you’re overcoming a lower body injury and aren’t ready for that much walking, then do the same thing on a stationary cycle until you can transition to walking more. 
 
FIT TIP: The more you enjoy it, the better it is for you.  Add your favorite music and the dopamine will start flowing (your pleasure hormone).
 
Next time you’re feeling stuck, go for a walk. It’ll help your brain & body get back in flow so you can move forward.

Your heart will love it too.

Get Moving!
Mollie

P.S. For more on the benefits of Interval Training and some more workout recommendations, check out this FIT Blog: How To Get Stronger in 1 Minute 

*From the book: The One Minute Workout by Martin Gibala, Ph.D. 

**For intensity guidance, refer to the Modified Borg RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) Scale from 1 (extremely easy) -10 (extremely hard or max effort).