Recently, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure — 180/96. With medication, it has stabilised at 140/80. I am 57 and will retire in a few months. The rise in blood pressure could be due partly to anxiety over retirement. My doctor says I should walk daily, but I’m not an enthusiastic walker. Is there a way to make walks more interesting?

Vinay D.

You have absolutely nothing, nothing to worry about because studies show that retired people are the happiest people in the world! Remember this beautiful axiom: When you don’t have the need to go anywhere, it means you have arrived.

I suggest you make a sport out of walking. Given below are six kinds of walks. Every morning, roll a dice and pick the walk according to the number that shows up:

1.Health-booster: This one’s going to lower your blood pressure to 115/70. Walk at a comfortable pace — you’re not competing with anybody. Just enjoy feeling your leg muscles move with a robust rhythm. Your breath deepens as the muscles demand oxygen; your heart pumps a little stronger to ensure every cell of your body receives oxygen-rich blood.

2.Intelligence-booster: Walk amongst trees or by the sea. The proximity of nature calms tension, soothes insecurity, salves anger and increases oxygen supply to the brain to make it alert, quicker on the uptake, and fresh as a flower.

3.Stress-dissolver: As you walk, count your steps. Counting is the simplest way to push away stressful thoughts — it’s arith-magic! A sense of achievement drives away stress. If you can say, “I walked 2,000 steps today,” the satisfaction is huge, the stress zilch, the peace enormous.

4. Spirit-lifter: Walk with a loose gait, as if your joints are made of rubber. Swing your arms, smile at a flower, or sing snatches of a song without bothering about how you might appear to others. This is your spirit freeing itself from society’s limitations. Find a new route to trek on. Explore your world. Wade into water. The world’s your oyster, you are the pearl.

5.Fat-burner: Attempt this only after you’ve built up sufficient stamina and your blood pressure is well under control. Check with your doctor. Here, you’ve got to walk briskly and cover 4.8 km in 42 minutes. You can even walk–run–walk–run. It’s a great fat-burner — the kilos just melt away!

6.Muscle-toner: Hold light dumbbells or strap on wrist-weights and burn that leather! This gives a nice toned, taut look to your arms and shoulders and makes you feel like the King of Achievers.

I’m unable to sleep. Thoughts keep running continuously in my head, keeping me awake. I’ve resisted taking sleeping pills so far. Please advise.

Ronnie K.

Don’t even think of sleeping pills as a solution! The solution is within you. Please understand that most executives use their mind a lot. Preparing an analytical report, or studying hard for an exam may tire you out, but won’t help you sleep. Physical exercise should do the trick.

Exercise four to six hours before your bedtime — walk for 40 minutes or cycle for 30 minutes at moderate speed, five days a week. After exercising, the body’s temperature rises and remains elevated for four to six hours. When the temperature begins to drop, the body goes into soothing sleep mode, and you get quality sleep.

Fix a time to sleep, and a time to rise and shine. Having a regular schedule boosts your immunity and health. Erratic hours cause inner inflammations that destroy your natural sense of restfulness and well-being.

Don’t sleep with conflicts on your mind — surrender them to a Higher Intelligence, and go to bed with the confidence that they will be resolved, or the solution to restore harmony will present itself the next day.

Avoid chatting online or on your cell phone before sleeping. Instead, read something peaceful while sipping warm milk. Then do the Relaxation Meditation — instruct each part of your body: “Relax toes …relax feet…” until you reach the top of your head. Then slip into slumberland…

Recently, I joined a gym with friends to avail of a group discount. But every time I exercise, I suffer from ear-aches. My friends rib me about it. They feel that since I joined reluctantly, it’s a psychosomatic reaction. It feels real enough, though. What do you think?

Nilesh J.

I think it is “real enough”, especially if your gym is air-conditioned. Some people get ear-aches or headaches when they breathe in dry, cold air. It irritates your throat and causes the lining to swell. This swelling blocks the inner ear fluid from flowing freely, and the pooling of the fluid in the ear exerts pressure and hurts. The best way to avoid this is to cover your nose and mouth with a handkerchief so that you breathe in warmer air. Chew gum while working out. Chewing helps open the eustachian tube to allow the fluid to flow. If these measures don’t work, exercise in a non-air-conditioned part of the gym.

The writer is co-author of the book Fitness for Life.

Queries may be sent to life@thehindu.co.in

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