Want To Improve Your Mental Health? Walk More!

1 अक्टूबर, 2024
प्रकाशन की तारीख: 1 अक्टूबर, 2024
5 मिनट में पढ़ें

Walking plays a profound role in keeping you physically fit, but are you aware it impacts your mental health too? Let us explore the benefits of walking for mental health, including stress and mood.

इनके बारे में जानें:

Understanding the link between walking and mental health
Benefits of walking for mental health
5 ways to boost the benefits of walking for your mental health

Understanding the link between walking and mental health

Walking is a simple activity that most of you do every day, often without much thought. However, walking can also have great benefits for your mental health and emotional well-being. Whether walking around your neighbourhood, hiking in nature, or using a treadmill, walking can help you feel better in many ways. A study found that respondents who engaged in regular walks or other forms of physical exercise had better emotional health than those who did not exercise regularly. The average number of walks per week was significantly and positively associated with emotional health. This study further revealed that for respondents living in neighbourhoods with serious air pollution, regular walking had a positive impact on their emotional health.

Benefits of walking for mental health

Let us explore how walking benefits your mental health.

Reduces anxiety and depression

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The rhythmic pace of walking can soothe the mind, reducing stress levels and lessening feelings of anxiety and depression by:

Releasing endorphins, the natural brain chemicals that can improve your sense of well-being.
Increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain, reducing depression and anxiety.
Reducing muscle tension to lower feelings of anxiety.
Helping you breathe more efficiently.

Boosts your mood

Brisk walking can boost your mood. This is because physical activity triggers the release of brain chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ hormones, which stimulate relaxation and improve your mood, making you feel happier and more relaxed. Walking increases norepinephrine in the brain, which improves your stress response. Just a quick walk can sometimes offer a natural boost in mood.

Enhances cognitive function

Walking also increases blood flow to your brain, giving it more oxygen which helps you stay mentally sharp, focused and helps clear your mind. Regular walks can help you process thoughts and emotions better, and improve your memory, attention span, and problem-solving skills.

Walking can:

Increase the volume of the frontal lobe of your brain, which is involved in reasoning and problem-solving.
Increase the size of the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning, memory, and cognitive function.
Improve brain oxygenation, putting the brain in a creative state and helping access subconscious thoughts.
Be a great way to clear your mind, encourage creative thinking, and boost your overall cognitive health.

Gives you a sense of accomplishment

Walking can give you a sense of achievement in several ways. You can:

Set a goal to walk a certain distance or for a specific amount of time each day. For example, you could aim to walk 10,000 steps a day.
Track your progress by recording the distance or time you walk. Seeing your progress can be motivating and help you reach new goals.
Celebrate your achievements, which can strengthen your sense of accomplishment.

Encourages mindfulness and meditation

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Walking can help you practise mindfulness. By focusing on your steps, your breathing, or the environment around you, you can turn your walk into a moving meditation. It can help you become more aware of your body and surroundings and feel more grounded and balanced. It can also help you develop a greater sense of appreciation for your body and surroundings. This can anchor you in the present moment to reduce stress and promote inner peace.

Helps you sleep better

Walking can help reduce stress, and regulate your body’s internal clock which helps to calm your mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep and sleep longer and better over time. Bonus: If you walk outdoors, you get natural light exposure which can help regulate your circadian rhythm. This ensures you feel sleepy at night and awake during the day. Good sleep can help boost mental health by reducing anxiety and depression, and improving overall well-being.

5 Ways to boost the benefits of walking for your mental health

Here are 5 ways by which you can boost the benefits of walking for mental health:

Practise deep breathing

Focus on your breathing while walking. Try to take deep, slow breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Deep breathing can reduce stress and anxiety, enhancing the calming effect of your walk. Try the ‘counting your breath’ technique to calm your mind. Mentally count each inhale and exhale as one. Start by counting from one to ten, then start over. If you get distracted, start over at one. Try to practise this every day for five minutes.

Listen to calming music

Consider listening to calming music or guided walking meditations when you walk. These can help maintain a peaceful state of mind and enhance the relaxation benefits of your stroll. Listening to calming music can:

Settle your mind and relax your body
Elevate your mood
Heal heartache and grief
Enhance mindfulness
Help you process difficult emotions

Walk with friends or family

Add social interaction to your walks to help boost your mental health benefits. Socializing while walking can help exercise your brain and promote brain cell connections. The physical activity of walking also stimulates the growth of new brain cells. Walking with a friend or in a group can provide valuable social support and help reduce feelings of loneliness.

Choose natural settings

Nature walks, or forest bathing, can significantly reduce stress and improve mood. Whenever possible, walk in natural settings like parks, forests, or by the water to enhance the mental health benefits of walking. Exposure to nature can help improve your attention, increase your empathy and cooperation, and reduce your risk of mental illnesses.

Don’t rush your walks

Turn your walks into a mindfulness practise by focusing on the present moment and not rushing. Pay attention to the sensations of your feet touching the ground, the sounds around you, and the feel of the air on your skin. Engage your senses. Notice the colors, the patterns of light and shadow, the scents, and the sounds. This sensory engagement can deepen your connection to the environment and provide a more therapeutic experience.

Walking is a great tool not just to enhance your physical fitness but also your mental health. Follow the ways mentioned above to boost the benefits of walking for mental health. When you create a walking routine, start with short, manageable durations and distances. Begin with 10–15 minutes each day and gradually increase that time as you build stamina. Once you become comfortable with a shorter distance, extend your walk to 30–60 minutes for even greater mental health benefits. Remember that the consistency of your walking routine is more important than the intensity or duration of each walk.

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