Our culture has certainly moved away from the wonderful benefits of walking. It seems like we drive everywhere and do our best to get the VIP parking as close to the entrance of our destinations as we can. When was the last time you went for a stroll just because?
Check out this fantastic article from Mark’s Daily Apple about the benefits of walking:
Just Walk It Off: How Walking Can Improve Your Emotional Well-Being
First, the big picture… Beyond the euphoric runner’s high, moderate physical activity (often represented as simple walking in studies) has been shown to “soothe” us neurologically. When subjected to stress, it seems, our neurons get fired up. While regular activity boosts our production of “young” excitable neurons largely concentrated in the hippocampus – an emotional and cognitive processing center, activity also supports the abundance of neurons responsible for releasing GABA, a calming neurotransmitter that dampens brain activity and can ease anxiety.
In the larger scheme of things, research suggests, the more active we are, the less we “feel” stress. Over time, it becomes the brain’s set organization, meaning even if haven’t exercised for a few days because of illness or vacation, we’re still running off the same neurologically beneficial model.
In the short-term, we also gain from the exertion with the flush of feel-good fuzzies made possible by the enhanced secretion of various neurotransmitters as well as an increase in levels of opioids and endocannabinoids, leading some to label exercise as a psychoactive drug.
What’s more? The mood-moderating effects of exercise can set in within as little as five minutes but can last for up to twelve hours. As I’ve noted before, exercising in “green” or “blue” natural spaces offers considerably higher benefits, particularly for mood enhancement, than exercising indoors.
Beyond any biochemical measurement, walking is becoming incorporated into therapy and support models. With so-called “walk and talk therapy,” patients and therapists walk during their sessions, providing movement opportunity, which can be helpful for those whose agitation would make regular sedentary therapy conversation unduly stressful. The outdoor setting additionally makes a walk and talk format more appealing for many people, who feel they can relax more outside in the larger, natural space.
