Walkying helps wellness, not only from a physical
point of view.
Starbit is ahead
Starbit is ahead
Healthy minds
A good walk can do wonders for your mental wellbeing.
But
it's not just about the occasional
one-off feel good factor. Being active
has a whole range of benefits when it
comes to mental wellbeing.
It improves self-perception and self-esteem, mood and sleep quality, and it reduces stress, anxiety and fatigue. Physically active people have up to a 30% reduced risk of becoming depressed, and staying active helps those who are depressed recover.
In older people, staying active can improve cognitive function, memory, attention and processing speed, and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
"Walking has always been there for me, my confidence has grown immensely. I'm a totally different person now than I was ten years ago and I owe so much of that to walking."
Kath,
walker with bipolar disorder
The physical
improvements you gain by walking can
help to improve your mental health too.
If you feel fitter and feel in control
of your weight, your body image and
confidence can increase - so it's not
just the physical benefits that you'll
notice when you start walking.
Walk
regularly. Invest in your long-term
health now and you’ll see the difference
that walking can make to your mind,
your body and
your social
life. Walking in a group is a
great way to get started and stay
motivated, so find
your local Walking for Health scheme.
Mental health benefits
- Reduced anxiety and happier moods. When you exercise, your brain chemistry changes through the release of endorphins (sometimes called ‘feel good’ hormones), which can calm anxiety and lift your mood.
- Reduced feelings of stress. You may experience reductions in feelings of stress and tension as your body is better able to control cortisol levels.
- Clearer thinking. Some people find that exercise helps to break up racing thoughts. As your body tires so does your mind, leaving you calmer and better able to think clearly.
- A greater sense of calm. Simply taking time out to exercise can give you space to think things over and help your mind feel calmer.
- Increased self-esteem. When you start to see your fitness levels increase and your body improve, it can give your self-esteem a big boost. The sense of achievement you get from learning new skills and achieving your goals can also help you feel better about yourself and lift your mood. Improved self-esteem also has a protective effect that increases life satisfaction and can make you more resilient to feeling stressed.
- Reduced risk of depression. If you're more active there’s good evidence to suggest that at most ages, for both men and women, there's a trend towards lower rates of depression. In fact one study has found that by increasing your activity levels from doing nothing to exercising at least three times a week, you can reduce your risk of depression by almost 20%.
