Walking: How It Takes Care of Your Mind In today’s increasingly sedentary society, walking is perhaps one of the most underrated tools for mental health in humanity’s arsenal. Many people in contemporary society look for sophisticated solutions to stress, anxiety, and cognitive decline, when the simple act of walking is one of the most profound mental health benefits you can access by simply placing one foot in front of the other.
Research shows time and time again that walking is a natural antidepressant, stress reliever, and cognitive enhancer. It is a one-stop, accessible prescription to mental health that requires no special gear or knowledge.
Neurological Foundation of Mental Benefits of Walking
Walking induces remarkable change in brain structure and function that directly benefits mental health. When we engage in walking, especially moderate intensity, we are causing the brain to release a cascade of neurochemicals, which are good for the brain.
These neurochemicals include endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Each of these is considered a natural mood elevator and works cohesively to foster and promote feelings of well-being while simultaneously reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Brain Structure Change
Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that walking encourages an increase in grey matter volume in brain regions associated with memory, learning, and emotional regulation.
The hippocampus, which is essential in the stabilization of mood and the encoding of memory, shows one of the more significant increases in grey matter volume for individuals who engage in regular bouts of walking.
This neuroplasticity is an example of how walking can literally change our brains for the better, for mental health.
Improved cognitive control
The part of the brain known for executive function and emotional control, the prefrontal cortex, also sees an improvement with regular walking. Increased activity in this part of the brain improves our decision-making ability, reduces rumination, and increases our ability to deal with stress and negative emotions.
These changes can happen fairly quickly; you may receive some of the benefits after only a few weeks of walking regularly.
Walking as natural stress management
Walking has some of the best natural (non-pharmaceutical) methods for managing stress and its consequences for mental health. The rhythm of walking stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is your body’s relaxation response. This counters the chronic activation of our stress hormones like cortisol, that most people experience due to modern-day stressors.
Immediate reductions in stress
Research from Stanford University indicates that walking reduces cortisol levels by around 15-20% after only 20 minutes of walking at a moderate pace! In addition to the reduction in cortisol being a stress hormone, a reduction in stress hormone results in immediate changes in mood, anxiety levels, and overall feelings of calm. The benefits of walking are felt for hours (and possibly the rest of the day), while cortisol levels remain low and baseline stress is reduced.
Additional Health Benefits of Nature
Walking outside intensifies these stress-relieving benefits through exposure to natural environments. The Japanese practice of “forest bathing” and shinrin-yoku has been well-studied, and it has been shown that walking in nature can lower stress hormones more than indoor workouts.
Even taking brief walks in a city park or down tree-lined roads leads to measurable reductions in stress compared to staying indoors.
Disrupting the Cycle of Rumination
The mindfulness experience of walking disrupts the cycle of rumination, which feeds anxiety and depression. The physical movement stimulates a meditative state of mind, helping to quiet the nonstop race of anxious thoughts.
This opportunity for a mental break starts to provide a mental reset, opening up the opportunity to view challenges with a new perspective or insight.
Cognition Boosting Effects of Walking Walking is a powerful cognitive booster that enhances multiple aspects of mental performance, including memory, attention, creativity, and executive functioning. During walking, there is enhanced blood flow and oxygenation to brain tissue, creating the nutrients needed for optimal performance.
Memory Enhancement
Research shows that walking leads to better performance on memory tests over time, implying that walking increases both short-term and long-term memory. Research suggests that our brain’s central memory region, the hippocampus, receives more blood flow when we are walking. This increased blood flow could positively impact the formation of new memories and their consolidation.
Walking breaks while studying for students resulted in significantly improved recall of material being studied compared to the students who remained seated and did not walk.
Creativity Enhancement Walking is also very good for enhancing creative thinking. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology outlines that walking led to an average increase of 60% in creative output. It is probably the bilateral process of walking that engages both hemispheres of the brain to allow for the cross-communication needed for innovative thoughts and creative problem-solving.
Many great thinkers through history, including Aristotle and Steve Jobs, would take walks to assist them with a breakthrough.
Improved attention and focus
Attention and focus are also improved with habitual walking. The slight challenge of walking gait and terrain provides just enough stimulation to enhance alertness without pushing cognitive resources too far beyond what they can handle.
This optimal level of arousal allows for extended attention and reduces mental fatigue associated with watching the “scroll bar” on a computer when working sedentarily for long periods of time.
The Effects of Walking on Anxiety and Depression
Walking is remarkably effective as a medication for anxiety and depression, which in some situations is comparable to some medications. The unique combination of neurochemical changes, better sleep, enhanced self-esteem, and social connection helps address multiple pathways related to mood disorders.
Depression
Multiple clinical trials have shown 20-30% improvements in depression scores in a walking group over a 6-8 week period. The antidepressant effects appear to be related to walking’s ability to enhance brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF).
BDNF is a protein that promotes the growth and connections of neurons in the brain. Increased levels of BDNF have a strong relationship with improved mood and fewer symptoms of depression.
Anxiety
For managing anxiety, walking can provide both an immediate and long-term effect. The physical activity also helps metabolize stress hormones and excess adrenaline that contribute to anxious thoughts and physical symptoms.
Regular walkers report lower baseline anxiety measurements and report feeling more effective at coping with a stressor or anxiety when it occurs.
Enhancement of Sleep Quality
Engaging in walking also has a positive impact on sleep quality, which is important for emotional health. The combination of mental and physical fatigue from walking, coupled with lower levels of stress hormones and an improved mood post-walk, leads to deeper, more restorative sleep.
The benefits of enhanced sleep quality are reciprocal, as getting sufficient quality sleep helps us regulate our emotions and remain resilient to stressors.
Social and Psychological Support of Walking
Walking provides us with a unique opportunity for social connectivity and psychological well-being; both of these benefits are in addition to the neurological benefits of walking. Group walks, walking meetings, or even strolling with friends or family all provide a social environment.
Social connectivity combats loneliness and social isolation, which are two significant risk factors for depression and anxiety.
Developing Self-Efficacy
The feeling of accomplishment that accompanies completing walks, particularly longer distance walks or walks that are more challenging, contributes to improved self-efficacy and confidence in residential communities. Achieving a walking goal contributes to a sense of positive momentum that sometimes transcends into other venues within one’s life.
This psychological benefit may be most important in those experiencing depression or a lack of self-worth.
Cognitive Processing Time
Walking is an excellent opportunity to think and unconsciously process. Unlike more demanding exercise that requires purposeful attention to performance, walking creates space for wandering thoughtlessly but nonetheless productively.
That space generates processing of feelings, thinking through situations, and obtaining new views of life challenges.
Natural Mood Stabilizer
Outdoor walking allows for natural mood stabilization because of the changing environment and the seasonal variability of walking outdoors. Walking outdoors provides sunlight exposure to gain healthy circadian rhythm balance and optimize vitamin D absorption, both of which are important for stabilizing mood balance. Interestingly, cloudy-day walks produce more light exposure than indoor activities.
Behavioral Modifications for Using Walking for Mental Health
Using walking to support mental health benefits requires behavioral modifications intended to maximize benefits until a habit is established. An appropriate starting point to make walking useful for mental health is to set achievable goals modified to develop self-efficacy and a positive disposition toward walking. Even 10-15 minute walks provide statistically significant mental health benefits and can begin to scaffold for longer walking sessions.
The Advantages of Walking in the Early Morning
Walking early in the morning is especially good for mood regulation and levels of energy throughout the day. A blend of gentle movement, exposure to sunlight in morning hours, and quiet contemplation time provide optimal conditions for fostering a positive mental state.
Morning walkers tend to report more stable moods and better ability to cope with stress than those who only engage in activity in the evening.
Mindful Walking Techniques
Mindful walking techniques enhance the mental health benefits of walking by bringing together meditative practices and physical activity. When you walk, practice focusing on the rhythm of your breathing, paying attention to your footfall, or simply paying attention to the sounds around you.
Using this mindful approach will magnify stress reduction during your walking time and provide you with tools to address anxious thought experience throughout your everyday life.
Nature Walking vs Urban Walking
Nature walks promote the greatest mental health benefits when compared to urban walks, though walks in either setting are better than no walks at all! When you are able to, try to always walk in parks, along waterfronts, on trails, or simply on tree-lined streets.
Being in a natural environment also provides additional stress relief, as you experience less noise pollution, cleaner air, and more natural rhythms of the environment and life.
Overcoming Common Walking Barriers for Mental Health
Finding obstacles that keep us from walking consistently is common, but most barriers can be solved by concrete action. Time is often the biggest barrier that prevents regular walking, but it can usually be incorporated into what we already do, such as walking to work, taking a walking break at lunch or as a way to multitask, such as walking during a phone call or walking meeting. To maximize social/mental health benefit, you can always “walk and talk” with a friend.
Weather is another barrier that can prevent walking regularly, but once you prepare for the weather, you can enjoy walking any time of year. Buy clothing and outdoor gear appropriate for the weather conditions for that day to ensure your comfort. You can also keep walking indoors, by walking in a mall, using a treadmill, or walking on covered walkways.
Physical ability is another potential barrier, but the ability to walk can be modified, and walking can still engage your mental health, even if you make modifications. You don’t have to walk that far or that fast; walking with an aid or walking for a shorter distance can make the walk accessible for most people. Even if the walking process is less than your original intensity or distance, the mental health benefits are likely still substantial.
The last barrier is motivation. Motivation barriers can be managed well with social support and goal-setting techniques. Having a walking group, using a fitness App, or even walking with a friend can not only provide motivation but also provide a level of accountability too. Consider setting a process goal, which is taking repeated walks, vs readying outcome goals, or walking a certain distance or speed; outcome goals might put pressure on performance, while process goals keep your mind on the mental health benefits.
Creating a Sustainable Walking Practice for Discovery and Mental Health
Achieving long-term progress involves developing a walking practice that naturally weaves into your life and continues to be enjoyable – it will be less enjoyable if participants do the same thing over and over. Variety is the key to avoiding boredom, fostering engagement, and can also provide opportunities for discovery and exploration! Urban walks versus nature trails versus walks along the beach, for example, offer distinctly different experiences, each stimulating the mind in its unique way.
Progressive goal-setting nurtures momentum and assists in avoiding burnout and/or injury. Start by setting goals for distance, time, speed, or heart rate, based on how you feel when competent. To build a sustainable practice, increase goal-setting metrics by time or distance, rather than intensity. The mental health benefits you gain from walking don’t need to be based on high-intensity efforts; in fact, it’s more sustainable on a broader scale if you focus on simply walking and maintaining consistency while observing adjustments based on physical metrics, intensity, pace, or distance.
Keeping track of your progress using a journal, app, or just through a calendar can provide motivation and allow your process of walking and how it affects your mood, stress levels, and overall well-being to improve. To facilitate this process, be sure to keep track of any observations related to your mental health as it relates to your walk, alongside some recommended metrics.
Combining walking with other mental health-based practices can have a combined benefit. Walking-focused meditation, walking for the sake of gratitude (focusing on what you appreciate), and/or listening to music or podcasts that uplift, can not only increase the psychological benefit related to simply practicing walking while adding physical activities to the walking, but doing so can set you on a path of enjoyment and discovery!
The Mental Health Prescription Validated by Science
Walking is considered an evidence-based treatment for the improvement of mental health according to the research literature. The World Health Organization recommends individuals engage in 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week, meaning approximately 30 minutes per day for five days of the week. Mental health commonly benefits from engaging in initially smaller amounts of activity, which means virtually everyone has the means to walk.
Research demonstrates that even brief walking sessions of 10-15 minutes produce measurable improvement in mood and mitigate stress. These brief walks can be repeated throughout the day for cumulative benefits, allow for recommended activity levels, and provide flexibility.
The mental health effects of walking appear to be dose-dependent to a point, meaning the more walking completed, provides more psychological benefits. However, there is a limit to this benefit, and for most individuals, walking is most beneficial for their mental health in the first 30-60 minutes of a given day.
Conclusion: Moving Toward Mental Health
