A daily walk is so underestimated

[QwertyWitch]

A daily walk is crucial to wellbeing (if physically able)
Emotional, physical and mental. It should be promoted more but many people don't realise the importance of it.
I wonder if people got scared off 10k steps a day but even 4K steps does a lot of good.
Should there be more promotion?

Surely everyone knows this?

Walking does nothing for me. Sat outside in the sun for 10 minutes does me more good.

I miss having a life (pre-child) where I had time to do 10k steps in a day - I definitely felt better and was healthier!

I try to walk as much as I can - usually go for a walk after school drop-off and take the long route to the childminder in the evening. But even that is only about 5k steps, and I can't do it every day as there's too much else to do when you work full time with a young child.

"reducing anxiety, stress and anger", by walking? I don't have anxiety, stress or anger. And if I did, say having a bath, or sitting quietly on my own in the lounge makes me happy. Why does it need to be a walk?

I am outside an awful lot as we have ponies. I do around 15k steps, 7 days a week, plus ride 4 or 5 times a week, out on the farm where the ponies live.

I absolutely love it. It makes such a difference to my mental and physical health. Am fat but very, very fit. Before the ponies lived where they do, they were on full livery so I didn't have to go twice a day, every day. When we moved 3 years ago my knees were snagged, I had backache, random aches and pains. Asthma was niggly, hay-fever in the summer, down over winter.

Now, despite perimenopause, I am fit, healthy and happy. I sleep incredibly well (if I leave the wine alone), am more confident etc. I'm a ft student and during exams booked a couple of days of help with the ponies and just sat working. I was more physically drained and sore those days than if I had mucked 2 stables out, rode for an hour, done 15k steps and been v active.

I walk 5 miles a day but I struggle with any more. I work 50 hour weeks and leave the house before 8 and get back after 7. I do go for a walk every evening but I wish I could walk further and in the daytime

I also find it massively good for my mental health. I try to walk every day. I am lucky to live near a park so can get a 10-15 min walk in at lunchtime or before work even if I'm working from home and on calls almost all day. Sometimes I do more. For me, it's both the movement and being outside in green space. For those that can't walk, I found sitting outside with a cup of tea (very well wrapped up in winter) gave me much the same feeling. I would like to see more promotion of walking.

The last few months I've found a pre-breakfast walk (6am, 7am in holidays) before the rest of the family is up, round our neighbourhood, 3.5km, without phone/headphones really helps clear my head and set me up for the day. So much wildlife (squirrels, woodpeckers, birds of prey, even a fox one day) around at that time. In the winter I prefer an evening walk, which I do once my youngest is in bed. I know I couldn't do this daily if I was a single parent and worked full time.
We often take the kids out for a walk on Sundays, do lots of walking on holiday, and they will often join me in the summer during evenings.

This book is good if you like science based non-fiction:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/436873/in-praise-of-walking-by-shane-omara/9781784707576

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jul/28/its-a-superpower-how-walking-makes-us-healthier-happier-and-brainier

He also did a podcast interview on live better feel more:

https://drchatterjee.com/why-walking-is-the-superpower-you-didnt-know-you-had-with-professor-shane-omara/

Gosh dodog goose that’s amazing.
i need to just start I guess. I wfh and by lunchtime feel wierd and can’t concentrate. Maybe I need a walk. Find it super dull though even tho we live near nice places.

It's different though?

You're out in nature, getting some sunlight and some time to turn off

@Oblomov24 there are so many articles about this.
Stress often puts people in a flight or fight mode. It gets the body ready to take some action. For people who are stressed, their body deals with the stress and anxiety much better if they move - ie do what their hormones and all the chemicals in their body are gearing them up for.

This is something my DF instilled in us all from an early age, not just walking but the importance of physical activity for our health and mind. It is often the times when we least feel like getting out for a walk that we need it most. I have seen my grumpy DDs mood transformed as soon as she can be dragged away from her phone and out for a walk.

Had dogs all my life. Only realised how significant the impact of a daily walk is to my mental health when my dog was recovering from a major leg operation and I couldn't walk her for many weeks!

Haha I do actually walk a lot but that post made me laugh. "I work part time but still manage..." yes because you work part time. Of course it's harder if you work 50 hours or have a lot of unpaid care work. Also my TV watching is almost exclusively after 9pm which isn't ideal walking time and I'd imagine it's the same for most people.

Totally agree. I walk every evening after work, it totally clears my head and I miss it if we can't get out for any reason

It’s not just the physical benefits of walking, but it’s also the benefit of getting natural light. If you can walk first thing in the morning, brilliant, but if not just going and standing outside in the garden with your morning tea/coffee for 5/10 minutes will make a huge difference to your mood and help with your circadian rhythms.

@Underthesinkk I use my lunch break at work. Everyday, 10 minutes to eat, 40 to work, 10 to get a drink and get back to my desk. It's not hard

@CaveMum

I agree. Sitting outside having natural light with a cup of tea is as good for your MH. No need for a walk as op insists.

I love walking. I'm not really interested in other exercise. I notice that I feel dreadful if I don't walk for a few days. It hugely benefits my sleep too.

I wish my life was set up for me to walk in the morning, read in the afternoon, and watch tv in the evening

^ retirement !

Genuinely, that's great. I agree with the OP that walking is very important and do a lot myself, though I work 40hrs (technically part time) and have 2 children under 5. But the wording and logic of that other post made me laugh.

It’s amazing. Since starting my daily walk, and eating <1500 a day, I’ve lost 1.5 stone in the last 3 months. I’ve found that if I miss my walks for a few days that the weight loss stalls, even if I’m still being good with the food.

Our modern urban lifestyles have disconnected us from some of these basic actions that are so deeply connected to our wellbeing.

needtocleanupdogsick

That's such an amazing and positive story

So pleased you're so much more mentally well now

Agree with this.
I walk for about an hour daily. I live in the countryside and walk the dog.
Through trial and error, I have found that without a podcast/audiobook is better. I feel grounded and have increased wellbeing afterwards.

Takes me about 90 minutes