A walk for your mental health
Less time outside, decreased exposure to the sun, less vitamin D, experiencing fatigue, and troubled sleeping routine. If you’re living in one of the many countries that practice the time change, or “daylight savings”, you might be currently experiencing some of these adverse effects. Many healthcare professionals claim that, unfortunately, issues like mood declines or even depression may occur when we have less sunlight, and therefore - we’re currently at a higher risk time. There are many methods to keep your mental well-being in check in such a period, but we’ve decided to explore something accessible and easy to squeeze in even during a busy work day.
Can taking a stroll to a nearby park once each day help with your mental health and well-being? Let’s attempt to answer this question.
Mens sana in corpore sano - this widely used Latin saying translates roughly to “in a healthy body, a healthy mind” (or “spirit”), and sums up the theory that physical exercise is a necessary or even essential part of mental and psychological well-being. The correlation between physical health and mental welfare is a scientifically proven fact, leading to the first set of benefits of walking. Going for a walk is a form of exercise that can reduce cholesterol and cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels, improve cardiovascular health, increase energy and stamina, aid in maintaining a healthy weight and provide better sleep quality. All these “side effects” factor in ameliorating the overall physical health and, at the same time, may help balance that with keeping the mind in an equally good condition. However, if it’s just the aspect of movement and exercising that is beneficial -
Wouldn’t walking on a treadmill in your own bedroom or a gym provide the same effect?
The answer is - not really. As was discovered in a study that analyzed a group of 1,252 people from different backgrounds across the UK, walking in a primarily green scenery, even if it’s just the nearby park, for five minutes helps improve your sense of well-being and lower your risk of mental illness. For even more excellent benefits, add water to the picture - natural landscapes combining green and blue: lakes, rivers, ponds, or the sea - to increase well-being even further. Another reason why walking, especially in areas including a body of water, is advantageous is stated in the quote by Annabel Streets, the author of 52 Ways to Walk - “Walking near water is beneficial because when light is reflected off the water’s surface, you’re exposed to twice the level of light when walking close by. When light falls on our skin, it creates the hormone serotonin – known as our feel-good or happy hormone – so it stands to reason the more light we see, the happier we feel”.
By considering the effects of physical exercising, the production of serotonin, and the reduction of cortisol levels, we’re led to the conclusion. Even 30 minutes of walking per day helps re-energize your brain, calm adrenaline levels and create a sense of clarity, simultaneously factoring in keeping the mind and body in good condition. And that’s barely scratching the surface of the topic! When researching further how going for a daily walk may improve your mental well-being, you may encounter specific methods for certain issues. For instance: power walking (moving at a fast, energetic pace, often with additional arms movement) to help in dissipating anger or frustration, the “walking meditation” techniques and breathing exercises to reduce stress, or something as simple as walking with a friend and benefiting from the time for human interaction. The variations of a daily walk are nearly endless, and the advantages are substantial. So, with all that knowledge -
Will you add some walking to your daily routine?
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