The Easiest, Most Beneficial Reset?

Categories: Uncategorized May 07, 2014

This past weekend I went out for a hike with my family. My boy, who’s 3, rode most of the way in the “kiddie pack” - the back pack that kid’s can sit in. The hike was uphill (both ways in the snow, barefoot - kidding) on slippery terrain, to get to a waterfall. Coming down was just as fun, due to the slippery-ness. We all had a great time. Just a few short years ago, this would’ve been virtually impossible due to the pain in my knees, and hips that didn't work right.

Then in late 2010, I gave up all of my fitness goals - which were really performance goals - the sport of weightlifting for two major reasons:

1. I was tired of being broken, and more importantly…

2. I was 38 years old, was sore and stiff, and was about to be a father for the first time and wanted to be fully and physically available for my son.

So I changed A LOT of things about my workouts.

One of them was that I gave up the popular fitness notion of HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training for fat loss, which was one of my goals. Anything of “intensity” at that time actually increased my inflammation levels which made me fat.

So I did the one thing that’s not supposed to work for fat loss:

Walking.

Long distances.

Every day I’d take my dog out for 30 to 60 minutes. On one day on the weekend, we’d take a 2+ hour walk.

The results?

I leaned out to levels I hadn’t seen in 20 years.

Sure, my food intake had part of it.

But the most amazing thing to me was that I could just go out and do what the “experts” of the day said wouldn’t work and have it work.

Walking.

It’s the Automatic Reset.

At least it’s supposed to be.

One of the things I hear in the stories of people who live into their late 80s, 90s, and even over 100 is that they never stop moving. Many, if not most, walk daily.

It keeps the body - and more importantly, the mind, and the brain healthy. The brain controls the body, which is why this is so important.

Not only that, walking makes you physically and mentally strong and resilient.

Major General Gerry Boykin, US Army Retired, former commander of the US Joint Special Operations Command was one of the first members of the elite Delta Force. Many people would think that their physical selection process was comprised of “hardcore” or “killer” workouts - something you might see on the internet today - you know, the latest "Warrior Workout."

It wasn’t.

Guess what it was?

They called it “The Long Walk.”

Every morning selectees were awakened before dawn, given food and water for the day, a compass, map coordinates, a destination, and an arrival time. They walked to their destination and it was timed. Most days the selectees walked between 8 and 12 hours a day.

The selectees also had no idea how long the selection process would take. They weren’t told. They were just awakened each morning and literally told to “take a hike.”

I can't remember offhand, but I’m pretty sure the process was around 30 days in length.

And guess what?

General Boykin said he lost over 30 pounds during that time period.

And it obviously sharpened his mind since he became one of the first few members of Delta Force and later it’s commanding officer.

Similarly, the Roman Legionnaires between the fifth century BC and the third century AD were virtually unbeatable, partially to their discipline and efficiency, but also to their training. The average Legionnaire was between 5’4-5’7” tall and weighed around 145 pounds (1).  He carried approximately 45 pounds of equipment, not including his armor and his weapons, which are roughly estimated to be another 40 pounds. That alone is 80 pounds, not including his own rations, which were approximately 20 pounds (2).  That means the average Roman soldier carried approximately 100 pounds of equipment each and every day.

Speaking of every day, it was not uncommon for a Roman Army to march 20-25 miles a day and then be called upon to fight. And fight they did. They conquered the entire known world.

My point is this:

It is very easy to discount walking because it’s not “functional” (Ha! Can’t think of anything more functional!), not intense enough, won’t help you lose weight, it’s not “Warrior enough,” or whatever.

Walking is probably the best exercise you’re not doing. If was good enough for the Romans, good enough for Delta Force (both of whom are more “Warrior” than your Boot Camp instructor), then you too might just be able to use it to conquer many of the limitations you might be facing both physically and mentally.

Walking - It’s the Automatic Reset.

Don’t forget about it.

NOTES:

(1) The Ancient World, p.10, Richard A. Gabriel

(2) The Logistics of the Roman Army at War: 264 BC-AD 235. p.72-74, Jonathan Roth

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