Don’t Sleep on a Morning Walk

If you’re looking for a simple start to your fitness efforts, walk in the morning in a fasted state (before eating).

A 2018 study examined two groups of men who walked for 45 minutes each morning. One group was given a small breakfast. The other group walked in a fasted state.

The fasted walkers:

• Did not show greater prevalence of appetite hormones or feelings of hunger than the fed walkers
• Had higher concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in their blood, an indication their bodies were burning fat from fat stores.

In other words, the fasted walkers seemed to burn more fat, and weren’t hungrier—so they didn’t eat more later in the day--than the fed walkers.

Walking can prevent disease. A walk can lower blood glucose levels, which helps ward off lifestyle diseases like heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Walking can also lower inflammation, warding off other chronic diseases.

Walking benefits mental health, also:

"Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression," said Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Walking is an underrated tool for physical and mental wellness.

Try walking in the morning, before breakfast, and see if you dont start to feel better phyically and mentally. Walking is a great way to start your day--and your fitness journey.

Sources: 1, 2, 3