If I had to only choose one habit to keep in my daily routine, my morning walk would be it.
Besides just making me feel good, I realize a whole host of foundational health benefits:
- Movement
- Low angle sun exposure
- Delaying email, screen time, etc
Of these, the most underrated is the circadian component.
Getting outside for as little as 10 minutes first thing in the morning, even on a cloudy day, has a profound effect on your mood, energy, and sets off a series of circadian signals that, when reinforced throughout the day, allows your body to operate at its best.
This is not an exaggeration. Most people have no idea how powerful natural light (or lack thereof) can be. If you have any interest in going down this rabbit hole, you must follow Zaid K. Dahhaj.
There’s a magic window to this habit. I mentioned low angle sun exposure. The closer to sunrise, the better it feels. I notice a big difference between taking this walk during or immediately after sunrise versus an hour after sunrise.
I take a 10-minute loop around my neighborhood each morning. I also like to combine this early morning outdoor walk with grounding and voice journaling so I can stack multiple beneficial habits into a single routine.