Step by step makes great strides: Proven benefits of walking

Sometimes, simple steps taken to improve mental health get overlooked because they seem too, well…. simple. Walking in a natural setting is a prime example. 

While psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both are effective in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms, there is a need for free, complementary approaches, and walking fits the bill perfectly. Most people enjoy walking outside, it’s free and it’s been proven to help. 

A review* of 17 studies involving more than 1200 adults showed that participants’ positive mood, optimistic emotion and mental well-being, improved after nature-based walking. There was also a significant decrease in anxiety, ruminating and stress when participants walked in nature vs in an urban setting.

We all know that exercise is good for our mental and physical health, but this review also clearly points to walking outside in nature as being better for mental health than walking in an urban environment. 

The review concluded that walking was best done in combination with psychotherapy to improve results. One way to combine the skills we practise in session with your practice at home is to walk in nature. If you want to benefit even more, bring your attention to the present moment as you walk. 

One way to do this is by shifting your attention to your feet as you walk. I suggest trying this for 5 minutes as part of your walk:

• To start with, stand still and notice the balls of your feet and the rear parts of the soles as they contact the ground. 

• Now choose the first step and take it deliberately and slowly, noticing as the foot loses contact with the ground and then recovers contact as each part of the foot lands. 

• Also notice as you prepare to lift one foot what happens to your weight and how it affects your other foot and leg. 

• Your mind is likely to try to get you to speed up; simply notice the thoughts it’s giving you, and bring your attention back to observing and taking each small action with the body. 

• Notice any pleasant or unpleasant sensations in your body: where they are, what they feel like, whether they are hot or cold, pinching or itching, for instance. ‘Make room’ for these sensations and keep noticing the body as you choose to slowly step forward. 

How did you find the exercise? Did your mind try to get you to take lots of steps quickly and abandon the exercise? Were you able to bring your attention back to the task? You might like to experiment with this exercise each time you take a walk. I’ll be interested to hear what you found. 

If you’re finding it hard to get started, check out my blog post on motivation 

• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z