The health benefits of walking

​Do you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed with deadlines, by a ‘to do list’ longer than your arm, or facing a problem that seems impenetrable?  The temptation is to get your head down and push through, but sometimes, the best thing to do is take a step back and take a walk. This may seem counterintuitive, but in fact, taking a walk can help and has numerous benefits especially if it’s connected to nature.
The benefits of walking for the body and brain
Any walk is good for brain health with each footstep increasing blood flow to the brain, helping your memory and cognitive function. If you can make it a brisk walk, it’ll boost your endorphin levels. These are the ‘feel-good’ hormones that improve your mood and lower stress, anxiety and depression.
During a walk you’ll experience different things to see, hear, smell and touch which can the stimulate the imagination. So getting away from the office can give you new perspectives and help with creative thinking.
The extra reward of nature
The benefits of walking (or indeed, cycling) are greater in the countryside where the sights and smells promote feelings of wellness. Being in or near the natural world is proven to reduce stress and improve wellbeing, whether you’re exercising or not. In fact it has been shown that simply having views of trees from a hospital window can boost patient recovery time.
Even in a town or city environment there are often urban parks, tree-lined avenues or canals to walk along. The complete change of pace and environment can help you look at your to do list or problem from a fresh angle.
If nothing else, getting in some steps and fresh air is helpful for your physical health. And you may also think about taking a walk with a colleague to chat over the issues away from the office where you can be more relaxed.