Many people talk about walking to help burn calories and fat, improve their heart health
and overall physical health, but don’t forget it is amazing for your mental health as well.
Here are some ways you can actually improve your mental health just by walking.
It Helps to Release Endorphins
First of all, any form of exercise is going to help release endorphins, which are the
happy chemicals in your brain. When you walk, you almost instantly start feeling happy
and feel a weight come off your shoulders.
This does depend on the type of walking you are doing. While more strenuous workouts
are also great for releasing endorphins, the experience during the workout can be a little
different. You might find that for walking, you prefer to keep it calm and relaxing, and
save the higher intensity workouts for other forms of exercise.
You Can Boost Your Energy
You will also get a wonderful burst of natural energy when you start walking on a regular
basis. This energy is great to have early in the morning if you are someone who walks
during your morning routine. You can even skip your coffee or reduce your caffeine in
general, since you get natural energy just from moving your body.
This energy boost is amazing for your mental health as well. You often feel healthy and
productive, helping you to relieve stress and get things done. For anxiety, it is great
because without all that caffeine, you are actually helping to reduce some of your
anxiety symptoms.
Walking to Relieve Stress
If you are dealing with a lot of emotional stress in your life, walking can be a godsend.
Every time you walk, you not only release those endorphins, but you have a mini
therapy session with yourself. Walking can be almost a cathartic experience, where you
focus more on your breathing, enjoy the sights if you walk outside, and feel more
peaceful.
Walking to Help with Anxiety
Many people have also found walking to help with their anxious feelings. This works in a
number of different ways. First of all, as we mentioned, when you boost your energy
with walking, you can skip the caffeine that tends to make your anxiety worse. But,
that’s not the only way it helps.
You might also find that when you are walking, you begin to relax. The anxiety or panic
you were feeling before starts to dissipate. Remember to walk only in places that don’t
trigger panic. If you are someone who gets a lot of anxiety being around groups of
people, walk at home on a treadmill or find a quiet place to walk, like a park or the
beach.