Walking is one of the activities that brings the best benefits to our health, with the advantage that it is an ideal alternative for all people who do not want to go to the gym or practice other types of sports, but still want to continue. some physical activity.
Although there are many people who still doubt the benefits of walking to lose weight and maintain good health, the truth is that you can do it. For this, Afghan walking is very effective, a concept developed at the beginning of 1980s by Edouard G. Stiegler, which has now gone viral.
During a mission in Afghanistan, this researcher noticed the great physical resistance of nomads, who have the ability to travel hundreds of kilometers in a row, only stopping to sleep for a few hours. This led him to study the secrets of this technique, where he paid special attention to the rhythms of breathing, and after testing it in all kinds of routes, he proved that conscious breathing has the benefits of physical, mental, nervous and spiritual. level.
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Its great advantages mean that more and more people have decided to join the march in Afghanistan, which allows you to recover more energy, more resistance, peaceful sleep, more physical health and more inner peace.
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How to practice Afghan walking
The Afghan walk, also known as hiking yoga or meditative hiking, is based on the synchronization between steps and breathing, thus combining meditation with the act of walking. This should be practiced with a breath-to-step ratio of 3-1/3-1, like this:
- To begin with, you should breathe through your nose for the first three steps.
- The air is then held in the lungs in the fourth step.
- The air is expelled in the next three steps, keeping the lungs empty in the last step.
However, it should be considered that there are other differences depending on the intensity of the exercise to be done. In any case, this hiking technique allows you to travel far, helps to lose weight and fight fatigue.
The benefits of Afghan walking
Afghan walking is based on breathing through the nose, which allows maintaining the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, which is achieved thanks to the hairs present in our nostrils, which act as a filter against dust particles and dirt cause. lung damage. Because of this, Breathing through the mouth increases the risk of asthma, high blood pressure or various heart diseases.
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That being said, it is worth mentioning the various health benefits of Afghan walking, but not before remembering that it is suggested to do it at least three times a week to enjoy all its advantages. One of them is the ability to increase resistance, because with this technique it is possible to increase the supply of oxygen to the cells. Walking longer without getting tired also helps increase calorie expenditure and, therefore, promotes weight loss.
On the other hand, when walking at a constant pace, the heart and lungs work in a more efficient and coordinated manner, which promotes the improvement of blood circulation, in addition to reducing the risk of heart disease. In addition, Afghan walking also contributes to strengthening the bones, because with each step they are exercised, avoiding pain and trauma to the joints, as well as strengthening the muscles of the legs and buttocks.
To all these benefits we must add that it promotes relaxation and helps to get rid of bad thoughts, so it also has advantages on a mental level. It is given the concentration required to synchronize the movement of the breath. In this way, it helps fight stress and insomnia.
A practice that can be adapted to everyday life
One of the great attractions of the Afghan walk is that it is very easy to incorporate into everyday life, because it can be practiced at any time of the day and anywhere, even when returning from work, in shopping or doing anything. Go outside for a hike in the mountains or countryside.
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It is suggested to do this meditative hiking for at least 20-30 minutes a day, three times a week, because in this way we can enjoy the various benefits it brings to our health. In any case, the rhythm is adapted to each person in particular and it is possible to adjust it depending on the characteristics and needs of each person to get the most out of it.
Finally, it is worth emphasizing that, although the Afghan walk has some similarities with the meditative Buddhist walk, they should not be confused with each other, because they also present some important differences. . While the walk practiced by Buddhists is done deliberately and deliberately, walking slowly and meditating in a particular place, Afghan walking is about movement and physical exercise, allowing for variations in terrain and intensity.
