Walk to better health
Walking outdoors is known to be beneficial. Studies have shown that being in Nature reduces tension and depression, energizes you, and much more.
Benefits of walking outside:
- Reduces stress and cheers you up
If you鈥檝e ever gone out for a walk after a stressful situation and come back calmer and collected, you know firsthand how walking is a positive way to cope with stressful events.
- Improves sleep and energizes you
It improves the quality of your sleep and keeps you energized when you are awake.
- Improves mood
Exercise of any kind signals your brain to release 鈥渉appy hormones鈥�, endorphins/serotonin/dopamine, which improve mood and trigger positive feelings that can lift your mood both during and after your workout. These hormones can also make you feel energized and alert.
- Promotes creativity
Spending time outdoors is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Whether you鈥檙e struggling with writer鈥檚 block or can鈥檛 figure out the solution to a problem at work, taking a walk outside can help clear your mind and trigger new ideas. Research has shown that people who are up and moving around are more likely to be creative than people who are sitting down.
- Improves Concentration
Spending time outdoors with natural scenery has been proven to improve brain function such as concentration.
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
It鈥檚 been proven that regular walkers have fewer heart attacks and strokes, lower blood pressure and higher levels of HDL (healthy cholesterol) than non-exercisers. It lowers risks of diabetes type 2. In addition to helping manage blood sugar, walking after a meal can help digestion run more smoothly.
- Maintains a healthy weight
Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
- Strengthens your bones and muscles
It increases your bone density and improves posture, balance, and coordination.
- Improves the immune system
Gavin Sealy (Athletics) advises: 鈥淓xplore your neighborhood. Change routes. Explore the nature around you. Get new ideas from other peoples鈥� home decorations.鈥�
You can ask someone to join you for a socially distanced walking session, especially as people are spending more and more time alone at home. Being accompanied can reduce the loneliness and have you enjoy your workout more psychologically by talking, connecting and sharing an experience. Not to mention that sharing a walk makes you focus less on the physical exertion as you chat with your walking partner.
