Twenty minutes of morning light

I walk before breakfast every day, twenty minutes around the wash behind our house, with two dogs who have strong opinions about lizards. I started in my forties because a patient of mine, an eighty-six-year-old retired miner named Mr. Ybarra, told me it was the reason he was still alive. I did not believe him. I do now, a little.

A daily walk is one of the most studied habits there is. For most people it helps blood pressure, mood, blood sugar and sleep, and it asks almost nothing of you. Morning light seems to help set the body’s clock. The pace does not need to be fast. You should be able to talk, but not sing.

If twenty minutes is too much, walk five. Walk to the mailbox and back. The habit matters more than the distance, and the distance comes later on its own.