I Started Taking a Walk Every Morning. Here’s What Happened to My Health

Since March I have been getting up earlier.

Normally, I would go to sleep at 11 pm and wake up naturally between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 am.

I had to move my bedtime up because I was waking up at 5:30 or 6 in the morning, no matter what time I went back to sleep.

Maybe my circadian rhythm has changed in middle age.

I had no idea what I was going to do when I started getting up so early. Before the rest of my family woke up, I read and did admin work.

Then, at the beginning of May I decided to go for a 2-mile walk after waking up at dawn. Why? Why? I don't know. Also, I knew that I needed to get out more. As a podcaster/blogger, I have a fairly sedentary position. Every day, I spend hours reading, writing and answering emails.

On my podcast, I've talked to many guests who have discussed the health risks of being sedentary -- even if one makes time every day for a regular, vigorous exercise routine like I do. One hour of exercise a day won't compensate for the hours you spend sitting in your bum.

I decided to use the extra time I had in the mornings to get more steps and move around.

When I began my daily walking habit, I had no expectations or goals specific to my health.

It was not long before I noticed a positive change in my health, both from personal observation and using the Apple Watch and Oura Ring.

What happened after a month's worth of morning walks?

Scout, my daughter, likes to look at the stats on my Apple Watch each night before I put her to bed. She looked at my daily step count in March and noticed that it was consistently between 4k-5k. She would say, "Dad you don't seem to move very much throughout the day." "You are a bit of a lump."

Convicted!

Since I started walking in the mornings, I get between 12k and 15k steps per day. Much better. This boost didn't just come from my morning walks; this habit also got me moving more generally. I will take 10 minute walking breaks throughout the day, just because I enjoy it. When Scout looks at my timepiece each night, she gives me her approval.

Winning!

Resting heart rate is a good measure of cardiovascular and overall fitness. Your heart will work more efficiently if your resting heart rate is lower. A higher resting heart rate has been linked to cardiovascular disease.

Adults should have a resting heartrate between 60 and100. A resting heartrate closer to 40 is more common in well-trained athletes.

My resting heart rate ranged between 60 and55 before I started walking. Not bad.

After a month, I started walking daily and my resting heart beat was hovering at 45 -- which is closer to the level of an elite athlete. It took me 35 minutes of leisurely walking every morning to get there.

Heart rate variability has increased. The HRV is the difference in the time between successive heartbeats. It reflects the autonomic nervous systems regulation of the heart. Your heart rate should be very variable. A high HRV is a sign of a healthy balance in the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic systems (rest and digest). People with high HRVs are less stressed, and they're more resilient emotionally and physically. When your HRV level is high, you're better able to perform both physically and mentally.

A low HRV is a sign that you are under stress, whether it be from fatigue, dehydration or illness.

Walking, for example, can lower your HRV because it increases the parasympathetic activity (rest and digest). Physical activity helps you manage stress and improves your blood flow. Both of these factors contribute to a reduced HRV.

My HRV was between 36 and 40 ms before I began walking every morning. This is not good. It's now hovering between 45-55 ms. A big improvement!

My V02 max improved. The maximum oxygen uptake rate is called VO2 Max.