Table of contents:
- The benefits of a healthy walk for mental health
- 1. Make you happier
- 2. Helps fight depression
- 3. Increase vitamin D levels
- 4. Get rid of negative thoughts
- 4. Means of meditation
- Simple tips to get used to walking
- 1. Wear a pleasant gait
- 2. Take a walk in a community or office event
- 3. Take time to walk every day
Entering the weekend, still confused about what activities to do? Try participating in healthy walking activities. Apart from being a light exercise facility, a healthy walk can also be a place to gather with family, relatives and closest friends, you know!
Recent research has even found that walking has more than just physical benefits. The reason is, this one activity can also improve your mental and spiritual health.
The benefits of a healthy walk for mental health
Everyone knows that walking is the cheapest sport. Without having to buy expensive heavy equipment so you can sweat, walking a certain distance has helped the body smooth the metabolic process. Furthermore, it turns out that walking also has a positive impact on your psychological condition.
Here are some mental health benefits of walking that you shouldn't miss:
1. Make you happier
According to Jeff Miller, Ph.D, a psychologist from Saint Xavier University, walking has a positive impact like an energy. Walking can control the feeling of being flowery, a sense of high enthusiasm, joy, joy, and sensitivity. The reason is that walking can increase the endorphins in the brain which make us feel better.
Endorphins are natural pain relievers from the body. It also stimulates a sense of happiness in the brain, which will make you more relaxed and able to control your emotions.
2. Helps fight depression
Prolonged stress, whether due to work, romance, family, or other issues, makes a person prone to depression. The good news is, walking can actually help in fighting depression.
Taking a walk gives you time to think and release yourself from stress. Therefore, take a break from your busy activities. Try getting up from your chair and going outside for a moment. Spend time outside enjoying the sunshine, breezes, meeting people, and other things that make you more excited.
Especially if a healthy walk is done together with a partner or friend. Guaranteed! Surely you will be more relaxed.
3. Increase vitamin D levels
Another benefit of walking regularly, especially outdoors, is the free vitamin D intake. You may think that you only get vitamin D from vegetables and fruits.
In fact, the biggest intake of vitamin D comes from sunlight. By walking regularly, your vitamin D intake will also increase, so your risk of experiencing depression is lower. This is because vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
4. Get rid of negative thoughts
One study found that people who walked around the park were happier and had less anxiety than those who walked the same amount of time but were near heavy traffic. Why?
As it turns out, walking in the park makes a person reflect more and more on all the negative things they have been doing in their lifetime. Indirectly, this becomes a place for self-reflection to become a better person.
4. Means of meditation
Numerous studies have reported that self-awareness can reduce stress. Interestingly, walking apart from making you fit can also be a means of meditation. Walking provides an opportunity for you to reflect on the things you are currently or have been doing. This small meditation process can help relieve stress and dispel stress from your brain.
Simple tips to get used to walking
If you don't have time to exercise in the gym or to the field, just walking every day can also keep your body fit and healthy, you know. Here are simple tips you can do to get used to walking every day without disturbing your daily schedule.
1. Wear a pleasant gait
In order for this one physical activity to feel more enjoyable, do the right gait. To do this, swing your arms back and forth or rotate your shoulders up and down. By doing a style like this, your walking activity will not be boring, so you will be more excited when doing it.
2. Take a walk in a community or office event
Usually, weekends are the time for communities or companies to organize health walks. Well, you can take advantage of this right moment as a sporting event as well as gathering with friends or new people.
Each member or employee will be asked to gather at a certain point and walk together to a predetermined location. The lively atmosphere makes long travel routes feel close. Especially if you are doing a healthy walk with your family, partner, or close friends.
3. Take time to walk every day
In order to get used to walking every day, you can start with simple things. For example, they prefer to walk rather than ride a motorbike when they want to go to a place not far from home.
In addition, if possible, use public modes of transportation instead of bringing private vehicles. However, get off one stop before the one you are going to, so there is a chance for you to walk more.
Every now and then, try to climb the stairs to get to the room. If your room is on a high floor, you can take the stairs first to get to the fourth floor, then continue by the elevator. In essence, if there is an opportunity to walk, then walk.
So that the walk does not feel boring, you can listen to music passing byheadset.Listening to music while walking, can make the walking distance you do not feel far.
