How to Get All of Walking’s Stress-Reducing Benefits, According to Experts

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Working out is an amazing mental health booster—and walking is no exception.

“Immediately after an exercise session, the brain is flooded with neurochemicals that help regulate mood,” says Jennifer Heisz, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University and the author of Move the Body, Heal the Mind. This includes endorphins that reduce pain, serotonin to help us stay calm, neuropeptide Y to protect the brain from trauma, and dopamine to activate the brain’s reward system. Also, contracting muscles release myokines, small proteins that help clear excess inflammation.

“Regular exercise such as daily brisk walking also helps tone the stress system and makes you less reactive to everyday stressors,” says Heisz. “This is key. Everyday stressors can gradually erode our physical and mental health by damaging cells and causing an immune response that increases inflammation in the body and the brain.” To experience the calm-inducing benefits of walking, use these tips from Heisz:

• Start with 10-minute walks. Studies have found that just 10 minutes of walking lowers anxiety and depression and increases focus and creativity. Find time in your day, add it to your calendar, and hold yourself to the plan.

• Ease into working out. If you are experiencing a lot of stress in your daily life, it can be tough to tolerate hard workouts. Don’t be afraid to lower the intensity—you can get tremendous health benefits from short movement breaks.

• Stay consistent. After every single workout, when all those neurochemicals flood the brain, you get a boost in mood. But there are also cumulative gains over the long term, both mental and physical,
  if you make walking a regular habit.

• Slowly increase your duration and pace. Though the mood-boosting benefits can be felt in just 10 minutes, greater benefits are felt with every additional 10 minutes up to one hour. Research from Heisz’s NeuroFit Lab also shows that faster-paced walks and interval walking may be the best strategies for improving memory.

• Make it fun. Pick something you enjoy doing (like walking in a park) and pair it with other things you like (such as listening to a favorite podcast). While you’re at it, reframe your thinking: “A workout” sounds like work. Instead, call it your “wellness walk,” which is a time for self-care (not a punishment).

To help you get the most out of every step, three Prevention Why I Walk contest winners share how walking helped them take better care of themselves and overcome the mental challenges their lives served up.

“Walking with a friend brings me comfort”

“A few months after my husband of 54 years died, I arrived home from a meeting with my grief counselor and saw my neighbor Margy walking toward my driveway. I got out of the car, met her, and burst into tears. After consoling me, she said, ‘Do you want to take a walk?’ I nodded, and we walked around the block. I remember crying most of the time, but her arm was around my shoulders, and it felt good to walk. It also felt good to have someone comforting me when I felt so sad. She stayed for tea after the walk, and we’ve been walking together every day since, now for almost three years.

We often walk twice a day—once at 7:30 in the morning and again later, in the afternoon or evening. Scheduling walks every day gave me something to look forward to. Having retired from a taxing career as a nurse and no longer caring for my husband 24/7, I had nothing to do. Plus, COVID-19 restrictions had just started, so I had no outings on my calendar, but knowing that every day I would be seeing a friend, walking and talking, gave me purpose. I recently turned 80, and I’ve never felt better—my mind is sharper, my body is more flexible, and my spirit is soaring. I feel healthier, and checkups with my primary care provider confirm this.

I feel accomplished, and I’m more outgoing. I know more neighbors and feel connected in my neighborhood. I also value time by myself because I have time that I spend with others.”

—Lea Acord, Racine, WI

Walking with a friend brought Lea emotional comfort, and a little prep work can make your walk more comfortable physically too.

• Wear the right gear. You want soft, cozy, weather-appropriate clothes that allow you to move freely. This might sound like a no-brainer, but if you need the best walking shoes and clothes: your sneakers are rubbing the backs of your ankles, your bra is digging in, or your hands are cold, you’re not going to be able to fully relax.

• Don’t ignore the sun. Wear sunglasses, sunscreen, and a wide-brimmed hat. The sun’s rays can reflect off of pavement, water, snow, sand, and even grass.

• Protect yourself from ticks. Ticks can spread serious illnesses, and they’re most active between April and September. To lower your risk of getting bitten on walks on grass or hiking trails, tuck your pants into your socks and use tick repellent. When you get home, examine your clothes and skin and shower within two hours.

• Try using walking poles. Not only can they help you stay upright, but also they may engage upper-body and core muscles, take stress off of knees, and improve aerobic endurance. Pick poles that are tall enough so a 90-degree bend forms at your elbow when their tips touch the ground.

“Walking in nature brings me peace”

“Too often life gets busy and we forget how to take it easy. I walk to clear the cobwebs and reconnect to the person within. Nature soothes my soul like nothing and no one else can, so I concentrate on the sights and sounds along my route. I stop and listen near the brook that runs under the road before it winds its way past my house on the opposite side of our driveway. I pass several fields, which always makes me pause to reflect on how much I enjoy these moments of solitude. My regular route starts and ends with uphill stretches, and I’ve come to accept the physical challenge of the uphill climb to reach the fields and be rewarded with sun and warmth—especially on shorter winter days.