Circadian walks will keep you healthy during holidays: expert
The holidays will be a walk in the park — thanks to this wellness tip.
Podcaster and author Liz Moody is sharing a 5-minute health hack she promises can change your life during this stressful season.
“A circ walk is short for a circadian rhythm walk, and it’s a quick walk outside as close to when you wake up and the sun comes as possible to set your circadian rhythm,” she told Parade this week.
“This tells your internal clock what time it is, and your internal clock regulates much more than just your energy levels and sleep,” she added.
Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour clock in your brain that controls your sleep pattern, hormone release, appetite, digestion, and body temperature. These natural processes are influenced by light and dark.
Earlier this year, Moody took her 588,000 Instagram followers on a “circ walk” with her.
“It helps with energy, it helps with hormones, it helps with constipation,” she said as she wore a rose-colored sweatshirt, black pants, and purple Crocs and carried a water bottle.
“The goal is to do between 5 and 30 minutes, going for a little longer when it’s cloudy.”
Daily Burn 365 trainer Tina Tang shared her fondness for 10- to 30-minute circadian walks in 2021.
She said she walks twice a day, before 9 a.m. and before the sun goes down.
“Over a year ago, I was suffering from severe insomnia. While mine was hormonal-related, a lot of people might experience [it] because of stress,” she explained.
“The circadian walk is going outside in the direct sunlight. The sun affects every part of your body.”
One blogger found she had more energy and was “generally happier” after going on daily circadian walks for nearly a year.
“I didn’t struggle with mild swelling in my legs and ankles over the summer; my sleep has nearly returned to normal after being affected by hormonal changes; and I have an overall sense of accomplishment in creating and maintaining this habit, nearly 10 months later,” she wrote in February 2022.