Get Walking
Walk upon waking… it's science.
Have you heard of Andrew Huberman?
He is a Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills and cognitive functioning.
And, he thinks we all should start (and finish) the day outdoors (walking) to help us reset our clocks.
Getting a walk each morning ranks as one of the healthiest (and easiest) things we can do for ourselves daily.
Reason Number 1: It’s calming because of something called optic flow. Optic flow is the motion pattern generated at an eye that is moving relative to the environment. So if you are walking, things that are stationary are going by. You move forward; the trees stay in the same spot. Self-generated optic flow — by walking, running, or cycling — shifts the brain into a state of relaxation that’s not seen when you’re stationary … When you move through a space and you’re active, there’s a natural calming of the brain circuits involved in threat and threat detection.
Creating optic flow is the direct opposite of what most people are doing all day. Dr. Huberman notes that creating optic flow reduces stress in the same way EMDR (eye movement therapy used to treat PTSD) can heal trauma.
When you’re working at a computer, your eyes aren’t moving. What you see is two-dimensional and fixed in space.
Walking is a good way to give your eyes a break from screen time. Dr. Mike T Nelson, an exercise physiologist, suggests that when you’re walking outside, look up toward the tops of trees and then look at distances far away. You’re training your eyes to do the opposite of looking down and close up (what we do at our desks).
Reason #2 ~ Sunshine Explained by Huberman on scopeblog.stanford.edu ~
If sunlight reaches your eyes soon after you wake, it triggers a neural circuit that controls the timing of the hormones cortisol and melatonin, which affect sleep. It doesn't matter whether you're a night owl or a mourning dove, he noted -- the important thing is to get some sun for at least a few minutes soon after getting out of bed. Going outside for the light is better than sitting by a window because glass filters out some of the ultraviolet light that assists the clock setting. For the same reason, you'll want to leave the sunglasses behind. (Of course, never stare at any light so bright it hurts.)
So, go get out there every morning (upon waking) and around dusk. https://hubermanlab.com/
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WHAT IS MELATONIN?
Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production. *
WHAT IS CORTISOL?
Cortisol has many functions in the human body, such as mediating the stress response, regulating metabolism, the inflammatory response, and immune function.[4]