7 Reasons Walking is Beneficial for Your Mental Health
It’s mental health awareness week. This got me thinking about my own journey with mental health and how walking has been, and still is, a big part of looking after it. So I thought I would breakdown some of the reasons I believe it is so beneficial. This is by no means exhaustive, and not overly scientific, but a few personal thoughts which I hope you enjoy.
1. Nature
This one is much written about when it comes to MH and walking. Being in nature is great for your MH, even if you’re not walking! The Japanese practice of 'forest bathing' known as shinrin yoku has been popular for a long time, and now the science backs it up. Whether you are hugging a tree, sitting by a river, sunbathing on the beach or walking through the countryside, being in nature is good for you.
2. Exploring New Places
I think we’re designed to explore, to wonder and wander, to discover what is over that next hill or round that bend. It’s exciting, it’s interesting, and it gets our brain working in a way that focuses on the moment. It’s stimulating, enjoyable and I believe connects to what we evolved to do.
3. Being Outdoors
I know what you’re thinking, this is the same as point 1! Not quite 😉 Whilst having a lot of overlap, I think being outdoors deserves its own point. Fresh air, big open skies, and sunlight play key parts in this. Apart from generally being relaxing, being in sunlight (even under the cloud, important to note in the UK!) is our main way of obtaining vitamin D. Not having enough of vitamin D can lead to depression like symptoms, so it is very important to be getting this for your MH.
4. Exercise
Quite simply, exercise does absolute wonders for your MH. Walking is a way of getting your body moving, your blood flowing and your muscles pumping. It may not be thought of in the same way as running on a treadmill or lifting weights, but walking is a very accessible activity for most people and a great way to get an enjoyable form of exercise.
5. Finding Your Zen
Meditation is often hailed as one of the best things for relaxation, de-stressing and general MH. But meditation doesn’t have to be sitting cross legged with your eyes closed and thinking about nothing. In fact, for many people their meditation comes in the form of a hobby – reading a book, playing music etc. Basically anything that you can get absorbed into, fully focuses your mind on that one thing, encourages you to be in the moment and causes time to fly by easily. For me, and for many others, walking does this. There is something so blissful about the state of walking and your mind wandering, passing time without thought, and finding yourself in a place of calm-headed relaxation.
6. Talking
Walking with somebody encourages talking about things that may otherwise be hard to. There is something about walking that naturally brings out deeper conversations, and creates an environment that’s easier to share things. Walking therapy has become popular in recent years for this reason, but it doesn’t have to be a structured session with a professional. Walking with a friend, family, partner etc is a great way to open up and sometimes just sharing something on your mind can make all the difference.
7. Resilience, confidence and self-belief
I love walking as an exercise and one of the reasons for this is you can’t just stop when you fancy it. I mean technically you could, but you’d be left in the middle of a field or half way up a mountain somewhere! When you follow a route outdoors you don’t stop when you’re tired, you stop when you’re done. I love this, it pushes you through barriers that you might not have pushed through if the car or pub was always right there next to you. This helps develop confidence, self-belief, pride and a whole host of other positive emotions that will generally make you feel better. Plus, the resilience to carry on outside your comfort zone, to push through the toughness and reach the summit is a transferable skill into other areas of life.
Does walking help you manage your MH? Have I missed an obvious point? I would love to hear your thoughts!