It’s not what you expect to hear from a Health Coach: “Put down the Pedometer!” I want you to strip that device off of your ankle, remove it from the clip on your belt, and stop looking at the rings on your fancy watch. My advice to you today, as startling as it may sound, is to take a pass on the pedometer. This is because I have something else in mind for you...and it has to do with the beautiful country of my ancestry...the one shaped like a boot...yes, I am talking about none other than Italy. There is a daily tradition that is part of the culture in Italy that is known as “La Passeggiata"...which is a beautiful way to say “the evening stroll”. The name originates from the verb passeggiare, which means ‘to walk’.
La Passeggiata is a ritual that Italians, and tourists visiting Italy, take the time to enjoy nearly every day – relaxing and walking through the pedestrian streets. The walk, which may be short and is taken purely for pleasure, typically happens between the hours of 5-8 pm, after meals. This daily walking ritual, which originated in the south but is now happening all over Italy, may involve a variety of things - window shopping, chatting with friends, “taking a coffee”, sightseeing, admiring great works of art, or stopping for a gelato or an aperitivo. The one thing missing is that no one is counting the number of steps that are taken! This cultural phenomenon is so special that it is not uncommon to see entire families walking together. Now that’s my idea of “FaceTime”!
There are so many health benefits to this daily ritual, which is why I think we should “take a pass” on the pedometers and focus on “taking a Passeggiata” instead! Ironically enough, the country that we associate with eating plentiful amounts of delicious food has actually unlocked the secret to staying slim...walk it off! According to the book The Fat Cell Solution, creating a daily habit of a passeggiata is great for weight loss, regulating blood sugar levels, and reducing stress. The Diabetes Care journal has done studies that found that even just a 15-minute walk after a meal will improve the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar for the following 24 hours. If you do as the Italians do and take several short walks per day, the health benefits are as effective as one long 45-minute walk. If you take your passeggiata after dinner, you can reap even more benefits because combining gentle physical activity with the fading light before nightfall will recalibrate your body clock, helping you to sleep better. The post-meal walk is also a simple way to aid digestion, reduce the after eating insulin spike, and stimulate your metabolism. All of these things happen without it ever feeling like exercise or hard work. You won't find anyone wearing a pedometer or spandex during these strolls in Italy! Instead, you'll see them enjoying a beautiful sunset, catching up with neighbors, or reconnecting as a family at the end of a long workday.
So how do you get this magical ritual started if you don’t have any plans to travel abroad anytime soon? Take a page out of the playbook of the Italians - instead of turning on the television right after dinner, go for a 15-minute walk. After a few weeks, add another walk in the morning, after lunch, or sometime in the afternoon. If you already have a workout routine, you can add your outdoor passeggiata as a supplement to your normal routine. La passeggiata can be of benefit to even the most seasoned fitness veteran because it will serve as an easy, stress-relieving activity. For the best results, pair your passeggiata with your weekly “date night” or “girls night out” and make your walk the social event of the season, just like the Italians do!