Discover How To Keep Relaxed and Happy With A Daily Walk
In this month’s blog I want to re-think the role of stress in our lives, spotlighting the damage that stress causes for our brains and bodies and proposing a very simple, cost-effective and science-based solution.
We are poor in the one thing that we all crave: peace of mind
In today’s western society stress is normalized: part of everyday life. Something to be powered through on a wave of caffeine and grim determination and then conveniently ignored as we numb our minds with Netflix binges. If we’re lucky we go on holiday to ‘get away from it all’, only to return home to board the same stress merry-go -round. With the global wellness market currently valued at over $5.3 trillion in 2023, we should be feeling so good! But whilst the wellness industry is booming, so is our stress. Priory, the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services, saw a 55% increase in the numbers seeking help with stress or anxiety between 2019 and 2021. In February this year, the last month for which data is available, there was a 32% rise compared to the same month last year. One of the world’s richest nations, we are poor in the one thing that we all crave: peace of mind.
Running Away From The Tiger
Stress is normal. It’s part of the fight or flight response we humans have when our brain perceives a threat. The body’s alarm system getting us ready to deal with a sabre tooth tiger attack by sending a surge of adrenaline and cortisol through our bodies. Our heart beats faster, our blood pressure rises, glucose levels increase to give us more energy. Fantastic if we need to escape from that tiger. Not so great if we’re sitting at a desk.
So what happens when that adrenalin, cortisol and glucose doesn’t get used up? When the ‘danger’ – deadline, financial worry, domestic situation – doesn’t ease up and the body’s flight or flight response stays switched on?
When stress doesn’t go away it hangs around in the background until it literally makes you sick. We all know those classic signs: stomach churning, tightness around the heart and chest, headache, neck pain. Perhaps your response is to take a pill, have an e-cigarette or simply ignore what you’re feeling. After all, who has the time to stop and deal with what’s causing these symptoms? Trouble is, long-term unresolved stress has serious repercussions for our health, putting us at higher risk of many health problems, including:
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Digestive problems.
- Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.
- Sleep problems.
- Weight gain.
- Problems with memory and focus.
But you can’t quit your job / leave your 6 year old to get ready by herself / move your office away from that bullying colleague. So what CAN you do. How can you run away from the tiger?
How Walking Calmed Me Down
In October 2022 I began walking everyday. My life since then has transformed. I’ve had no backache or sciatica, which seems like a miracle. I also hardly ever feel stressed now. Instead I’ve gained a sensation of peace and relaxation. Now this was not something I was expecting and it kind of crept up on me. One day I was my usual list-obsessed, rushing around, busy person. Then the next thing, I realised I was waking up calm. I was moving more deliberately. I was noticing the birds singing in the garden. I wasn’t panicking the whole time.
So what’s happening here? Is it just me? Or can walking relieve your stress too? .
Walking Rebuilds Neural Connections
My friend, kundalini yoga teacher and trainer Martha Chester runs retreats for people to reconnect, rejuvenate and reduce stress. Martha uses walking as a key part of her process. “Physically, walking is called a cross movement,” says Martha. “So it’s right arm, left leg, left arm, right leg. And this movement has a very deep rocking sensation, which rebuilds neuron connections between your left and right hemispheres of your brain, which explains why people feel renewed after a walk.” That cross movement also helps to calm your nervous system, and more importantly, your vagus nerve, so that you have a renewed concept of what’s around you.
Give Me Some Of Those Good Chemicals
And then there’s the brain chemicals! Walking increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, triggering the release of endorphins and serotonin, the ‘feel good’ hormones. Walking also increases concentrations of norepinephrine in the brain. This chemical is thought to play a major role in modulating the action of other, more prevalent neurotransmitters that play a direct role in the stress response. Research into the effect of walking on our mental wellbeing points to one conclusion: if you’re human, walking will decrease your stress and boost your mood. In a review reported in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers who reviewed fifteen studies comprising 191,130 participants, found that adults who did 2.5 hours per week of brisk walking had a 25% lower risk of depression compared to those who did no physical activity. That’s just a 25 minute walk everyday. No pills, no expensive gear, no hotel bills, no nasty drugs. Just a simple walk everyday.
Nature: Our Ally In Stress reduction
In a 2022 study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany explored the mental health benefits of nature. They examined the brain activity of 63 healthy participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after the participants took a 1-hour walk in either a forest or a shopping street with traffic. Lead author, Sonja Sudimac reported.“The results of our study show that after 1-hour walk in nature, activity in the brain regions involved in stress processing decreases,”
As well as demonstrating a causal relationship between exposure to nature and change in stress-related brain regions, the study also showed that brain activity in regions involved in stress processing remained stable and did not increase after a 60-minute walk in an urban environment. In other words, the calming effects of nature remain, even when you return to an urban environment.
Put The Science Into Practice With The Stress Buster Walk
The science is clear. Walking – particularly walking in nature – reduces stress. So here are my top 10 tips for getting the greatest peace-of-mind benefits from your walk. I call it the Stress Buster Walk.
- Find Your Nearest Natural Setting: The Stress Buster is all about using the calming power of nature. So plan your walk in a natural environment – your local park, canal, field. Even the most urban environment usually has some natural space close by. I have 2 friends who live in a high density area of London. Both walk regularly in their local cemetery and love the nature they find there.
- Consciously Engage With Nature As You Walk: Listen for birds, smell flowers, pick up leaves, take photos and videos. This will take your mind away from the source of your stress and opens you up to the healing power of nature.
- Don’t Wait Until You Feel Stressed: Remember, the effects of the Stress Buster Walk are long lasting. So go on a Stress Buster Walk everyday, however you are feeling and you will build up your inner well of peace and your resilience to stress.
- Wear Comfy Shoes And Don’t Carry A Bag On Your Shoulder Remember Martha’s cross body movement? This will be impeded by a shoulder bag. A rucksack is fine.
- Schedule Your Walk In Your Diary Everybody’s body clocks and routines are different. I leave for my walk at 6am. It really works for me to start the day with the peace, joy and wonder that my walk provides. But maybe for you lunchtime is more do-able. Or before dinner…whenever works for you is fine. Just do it everyday.
- Find A Buddy Does it help your motivation to walk with others? Find a walking buddy. A friend, family member, work colleague. But don’t wait to start until you find someone. Just get going. If daily walking brings you peace and joy – and it will – pretty soon you’ll have people clamouring to join you.
- How long? 30 to 45 minutes is ideal. But if you can only manage 15 minutes then do 15 minutes. Even a stroll around the block will create a huge impact when you do it everyday.
- Do the Stress Buster Walk Everyday: You’re creating a new habit. Even when it seems like a really easy one, like going for a walk, creating a new habit is hard. Your old life will resist the change. You will come up with loads of reasons not to walk: it’s raining, I don’t feel like it, I’m tired, my foot hurts, I went to bed late. Ask yourself the question. Do I want to accept the stress in my life, knowing the short term and long term harm it is doing me? Or am I willing to give this one little thing a try to make me feel better? When you walk out of that door you are prioritising YOUR health and wellbeing. So vote for yourself and vote with your feet. Walk everyday.
- Do the Stress Buster Walk Everyday: You eat everyday, you wash everyday, you go to the toilet everyday. Just add this to the list as an essential part of your mind and body maintenance.
- Do the Stress Buster Walk Everyday: You eat everyday, you wash everyday, you go to the toilet everyday. Just add this to the list as an essential part of your mind and body maintenance. (Yes that’s important so I’ve repeated it!)
Imagine If You Could Visit A Sanctuary Everyday
We are trained to believe that stress is a normal part of life. That we just have to accept it and live with it. Which is ironic because stress is a killer…literally. You may not be able to control all the factors that trigger your stress, but you do have control over your reaction to it. The Stress Buster Walk will give you somewhere to start for creating your own well of calm. My daily walk is my sanctuary that I visit everyday to restore my peace of mind and nurture my happiness. It’s a mini break from my daily life that has slowly but surely built my resilience to deal with life’s challenges more thoughtfully and with less panic. I hope daily walking will do the same for you.
Knowing A Thing Doesn’t Make Us Do That Thing!
There’s a lot of information and research in this blog. But actually the ‘rules’ for keeping fit, healthy and sane are pretty simple…and we probably heard them from our grandparents: Get plenty of fresh air, eat your veggies, don’t stay up late, don’t watch too much TV!
And yet somehow…modern life gets in the way and we get into habits that don’t serve us: ready-made meals, endless scrolling, hours at our desks.
Like I said before, it’s hard to create new habits!
That’s Why I have created the FREE Walk Your Way Wonderful Guide
Download your copy now and discover:
- The top 10 benefits of walking for health and wellbeing
- The 2 most common blocks that get in the way of daily walking
- My top 6 hacks for beating these blocks (developed during 6 months of walking everyday through winter since October 2022)
Knowing a thing doesn’t make us do that thing!
So grab your Free Guide and get the motivation to Walk Your Way Wonderful.