Today marks one year since I walked 100 miles for breathing and chronic disease. In that spirit, this week’s newsletter celebrates breathing and walking. Enjoy!
4 THOUGHTS
1. An Update on "Walking 100 Miles: How Chronic Disease Makes Us Stronger"
Here is a re-share of the blog I wrote a few months after completing the walk:
Walking 100 Miles: A Story of How Chronic Disease Makes Us Stronger
Reading it now, I would change the "Healthy Paradox" section. At the time, I felt quite conflicted that I had become unhealthy on my mission to promote being healthy. In hindsight, that shouldn't have been the case.
Undoubtedly, I was the most unhealthy I had been in a long time. But, I was training for a very difficult challenge. Hard things don’t come easy. Without my daily breathing practice, who knows how much worse I would have been.
I had forgotten that sometimes health is what you don’t see [#2].
2. The Surprising Trick This Breathing Expert Uses To Stop A Panic Attack
"So when Bentley tells you to take in quick, shallow inhales, it's understandable you may raise a brow….'Doing it intentionally and in a relaxed manner and setting can actually help open up the lungs,' Bentley adds, 'so that when one does try to breathe in fully, it actually relieves that feeling.'"
Tanya Bentley, Ph.D is the CEO of HHPF, the non-profit organization the 100 mile walk was for. In this article, Tanya describes a rather counterintuitive approach to dealing with panic attacks: intentionally hyperventilate.
Whenever I read something that goes against everything I’ve ever learned, I immediately think, "well this just might work." : ) Enjoy the quick read.
3. Breath Walking
"Synchronizing your breathing with the rhythm of your steps in order to walk more while providing less effort…Both energizing and meditative, the Afghan Walk offers a new opportunity to approach walking with a sense of well-being."
Here’s a unique article about combining breathing and walking through what is known as the Afghan Walk. The goal is to reach around 6-8 breaths per minute, which we know is linked to better cardio-autonomic balance. It’s always nice when practiced methods are validated by new science.
Since learning this technique, I’ve been practicing a modified version (inhale 4 steps, hold 1 step, exhale 6 steps, hold 1 step) a few times a day in my backyard. It’s rather phenomenal. Here’s to more breath walking today.
Thanks to L.M. for sharing the Afghan Walk with me!
4. Getting Healthy vs. Staying Healthy
With high motivation, you can get healthy pretty quickly. In one day, you could clean out your pantry, start a meditation practice, and sign up for a gym.
The real challenge is staying healthy when motivation wanes.
To do this, we must develop and maintain healthy habits. It must become customary to do things that are good for us, even when we don’t feel like it.
Fortunately, there are two simple, scientifically-proven habits you can easily create to get and stay healthy: Walk more, breathe less [see #1].
1 QUOTE
"Gandhi used to walk for miles every day repeating it to himself until the rhythm of the mantram and his footsteps began to stabilize the rhythm of his breathing, which is closely connected with the rhythm of the mind."
– Eknath Easwaran, Gandhi The Man
1 ANSWER
Answer: The highest recording of this measurement of oxygen consumption is 96.7 ml·min-1·kg-1.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is VO2max?
In good breath,
Nick