Walk
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By Judy Heller

Judy Heller, founder of
Wonders of Walking LLC,
advocates walking for well being and pleasure. Wonders of Walking promotes Walking Events for Walkers by Walkers. Judy Heller is founder and owner of EroFit & Associates, LLC, celebrating Fitness for a Lifetime. Heller offers personalized fitness training and coaching for individuals and groups.
Contact: Judy Heller
at 503-282-1677:
email judy@erofit.com
jheller@wondersofwalking.com

Also visit: www.erofit.com
www.wondersofwalking.com

I only went out
for a walk and
concluded to stay out until sundown,
For going out,
I found
Was really going in.

— John Muir

What about Breathing?

Breathing and walking are two of the most natural things we do. I’ve written about walking, but. . .have you wondered. . . What about breathing? It is easy to take breathing for granted…we just do it, don’t we? From the moment of our birth, we breathe in and breathe out. We will take approximately 20,000 + breaths in a 24-hour period; more than 100 million breaths in a lifetime. Imagine, if you had to count each breath, each day, how much you would accomplish, how would you sleep? Fortunately, we don’t have to think about our breathing. Our autonomic nervous system is concerned with smooth-muscle muscular functions, which are reflexive, such as heartbeats, peristalsis (rhythmic movements of the intestines) and…breathing.

How do we breathe?
The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is called respiration. The lungs, located in the thoracic cavity, are the main organs of respiration. They have two primary functions: acquire oxygen from the air, which is required for life, and to remove carbon dioxide from the body, which is a byproduct of many of the chemical reactions that sustain life.

The diaphragm is the principal and largest muscle associated with respiration. During respiration, the diaphragm descends as it contracts and ascends as it relaxes. Ideally inhalation and exhalation take place through the nose, which warms, moistens, and cleanses the air on inhalation. From the nose the air travels to the larynx (upper throat) and trachea (throat). The trachea splits into two branches call bronchioles. This breath travels through increasingly small airways, finally filling tiny sacs called alveoli, which are minute air sacs clustered like bunches of grapes. Blood circulates around the alveoli through capillaries. Where the capillaries and alveoli meet, oxygen crosses into the bloodstream. At the same time, carbon dioxide crosses from the bloodstream into the alveoli to be exhaled. Each of the 75 trillion cells in our body absorbs the oxygen we breathe in through the process of metabolism, producing carbon dioxide that we breathe out. The body is designed to discharge 70% of our toxins or waste through breathing; the remainder through other processes. This amazing process happens with each in breath, 20,000 times a day.

Breathing affects, and is affected by, every level of our being. It is totally involuntary, yet it is within our ability to coax, induce, and alter how we breathe. How we breathe impacts our emotions, muscular systems — posture, muscle tone. Emotions, thoughts, posture, and muscle tone impact our breathing. Our breathing can affect our physiology.

Do you know that the average person reaches peak respiratory function and lung capacity in their mid-20s? Having achieved that, we begin to lose respiratory capacity between 10% to 27% for every decade of life. If we are not doing something to maintain or improve our breathing capacity, it will decline as will our general health.

We acquire unhealthy breathing habits over time. They are unconsciously adopted, accidentally formed, or emotionally triggered. Certain types of breathing patterns can produce stress and anxiety reactions. Other patterns may reduce stress and anxiety reactions.

Are you relaxed when walking?
Are you aware of your breathing?
Being in a relaxed state is important in achieving optimal performance in any endeavor, not just sports. It’s important when you’re giving a presentation, having a job interview, dealing with your children, taking a test, etc. You name it; being relaxed will increase your productivity. If you’re not relaxed, everything you do will feel like a struggle. Relaxation provides mind-body integration necessary for peak performance.

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.” — Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese monk, activist and writer. b.1926)

Our breath is always with us. Breathing deeply and deliberately provides nourishment in the form of oxygen to the body but also acts to relax the brain and nervous system.

The body strives for balance. When you change your breathing, you change your body chemistry and physiology. When you adjust your breathing, you are adjusting your state of mind and your body.

You can use relaxation skills at all stages of walking: beginning, during, and end. At the beginning of your walk, as a way to clear your mind, relax your body so you can get the most out of the session. Good posture and body alignment contribute to better breathing. During your walk, you can use breathing skills to maintain focus and fluidity. And, at the end of your walk, as part of cooling down, breathing helps you return to a balanced physical state. Relaxation and breathing skills help improve your circulation (blood flow), which can help reduce the risk of injury and allows your body to get back to its normal state in a speedier fashion.

How is your breathing?
I recommend the following to my clients as a beginning to breath awareness. This is information gathering. Resist the urge to judge.

Observe:
• Sit in a quiet place with your back straight and your muscles relaxed (a straight and vertical spine allows free movement of the shoulder blades, chest, and diaphragm, allowing your breathing to fully reflect unconscious factors, likewise for relaxed muscles).
• With eyes open or closed, simply pay attention to your breathing without trying to influence. Note the breath pattern. That’s it — just sit and observe.
• How does the breath feel in your nostrils?
• Do you feel it pass through your throat?
• Where is the movement? In your chest or belly?
• Frequency of breath: Fast or slow?
• Length of inhale and exhale: Equal or not?
• Does your vision change as your body moves with the breath?
• How far does the breathing seem to penetrate your body?
• What is the quality of breath? Labored, easy, shallow, full, tight?
• Does your mind wander? If so, just observe and acknowledge whatever the distracting thought is and return to your observation of breath.

Learning to breathe and move properly, maintaining physical balance can guide you towards peak walking performance and, equally important, pleasure.