Walk your pain away.

This morning, at the Sungai Pasir hill, I met a lady masseur who told me about a client of hers. This client of hers came not for a massage but to tell her that he no longer needed a massage as he did not suffer from his usual pains and aches. He told her that he had taken up horse-riding. But then, that was a really expensive way to overcome pain as it cost a lot of money to maintain a horse.

Yes, horse-riding can be an expensive way to exercise. But then, we have so many types of exercises we can do to overcome pain. Brisk walking is one of them.

Before I go further, I wish to stress on the word 'brisk'. According to my dictionary, brisk means 'quick, energetic and active'. It must not be a stroll. THAT IS NOT EXERCISE! To be brisk, we should be able to sweat and feel our beloved heart beat fast; as fast as when a voluptious nude or a virile hunk appears in front of you. (Sorry, ladies. I do not really know how your heart would go under the circumstances. See, there is still so much to learn, so much to find out.)

Taking a simple one hour brisk walk merely costs you a pair of walking shoes. Almost anyone with some kind of problems on their mind or a heavy head or headache can find relief from such a brisk walk. According to researchers, endorphins, some kind of natural pain-killer from your own body will be released from the brain after more than half an hours brisk walking. See, it not only relaxes your body, improve your circulation, strenghten your legs, improve your lung capacity and raise your body's immunity; it drives out pain. How wonderful brisk walking is!

Of course, if you can more than walk, do even more. At the hill, I walk up the steep slopes and when there is a level stretch and I am alone, I run. I believe that is good for me. Anyway, I have not had a headache for so many years that I do not know since when. Furthermore, I treat my run as a stress test. Well, that is what the doctors get you to do on a treadmill; run at a certain speed until you feel unable to go on after just a short while. It implies that you are so short of breathe without sufficient oxygenated blood reaching the heart due to a clogged vein. Well, as I can run at a fair speed for more than fifteen minutes, I know I can pass the stress test and my blood vessels are clear.

However, I wish to caution those who have been couch-potatoes for some time. Whenever we start some kind of exercise, we have to go from slow to medium and then to fast. Increase the speed, distance or time gradually and you will learn to enjoy your health. It is best that we have a friend who is just as enthusistic at the start. Later, when you already know the benefits and the joy of exercise, you can go it alone.

At the beginning, sometimes, enthusiasm have to be curbed a little. I have known people who decided to start running for their health, to find a few days' aches and pain from too excessive a start a deterrent to further health improvement.

Go slow initially. A slow walk just to enjoy the outdoors, the early morning or late evening breeze at a suitable unpolluted place. Gradually, increase the speed of the walk. After a few weeks or a month, when your legs are much stronger, you can do a walk gradually breaking into a short slow run. After that, you are the best judge of your own body. Just do what you like best and be aware of the improved feeling in your own body.

Love your body enough to have it at its best and it will love you by bringing so much benefits to you. Care for every part of it with sufficient nutrients, rest, sleep, cleanliness, oxygen and exercise to ensure that it is in tip-top condition always.