Just One Thing

In the Radio 4 programme "Just One Thing" with Michael Mosley he talks about how effective a morning walk can be to help promote good sleep and mental health. He suggests we go for a walk within 2 hours of waking if we want to get the most benefit of a good nights sleep. This is because the morning light helps reduce melatonin so we have stores of it in the evening when we want levels to increase to promote sleep. The morning sun light is also particularly effective at helping increase serotonin, the hormone that helps us maintain a feeling of well being.

He states that you can have your morning walk before or after breakfast as it makes no difference. However I would like to add that in my experience it does make a difference. I always have more energy for the walk instead of having my energy diverted to my stomach for digestion. If you are not use to exercising before breakfast and this feel it maybe a bit challenging, then make the walk just 5 minutes. This could then also build up your 'fitness' of converting fat into glucose, if you have not got the glycogen reserves in your muscles, or, you may already have glycogen reserves in your muscles, in which case these will be converted into glucose. This then 'circulates' your body even more as it is having to work with converting stores of glycogen (in your muscles) or fat, to release glucose into your blood. This process may also help eliminate toxins from your muscles or in your fat as they are converted to glycogen. Have a go and see what your experience is. Here is the link to the radio programme for those that like to listenhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v3fz