By Jared Packer, DPT, CSCS

Most of us have experienced a deluge of stress over the last year, and for good reason. Our day to day lives has changed dramatically, with a loss of structure outside of our control. This can lead to feeling dysregulated and without an anchor. Although stress management can feel like a never-ending task, it is especially important now to build in small habits throughout the day to counter these changes. This holds true particularly if we are stuck in a pain cycle since stress and pain occupy the same neural pathways in the brain. 

Thankfully there’s an easy way to reduce stress and improve mood: walking. It is best if your stress management is simple and effective, to increase the likelihood that it will stay as part of your daily routine. Walking is something that most people can do, is free, and easy to do.

While there is a long list of health benefits related to walking, this blog will focus on those related to stress.

Stress-Related Benefits of Walking

Decreased Stress & Improved Mood

Walking has been shown to decrease stress and improve mood in a number of studies (such as here, here, and here). Generally, this is measured by a decrease in cortisol (the stress hormone), changes in HRV (heart rate variability), and self-reported mood scores.

Vitamin D Synthesis & Improved Sleep

Walking often happens outside, which will increase exposure to the sun. This is important for vitamin D synthesis and regulating sleep cycles (both of which are heavily tied to mental well being).

Active Recovery

Walking gives all of the benefits of active recovery, such as improving the circulation of stress-related hormones and promoting sleep.

It’s a Great Place to Start

Usually, people with non-traumatic pain fall in one of two camps: they do too much, or they do too little. Walking can be a great place to start for a sedentary individual, while it can be a great way to decrease workload for the overactive individual.

Why Walking?

Walking is a great choice for stress management for the following reasons:

• You don’t need any equipment

• You can do it almost anywhere

• It takes very little preparation

• It is low impact

Where to Walk

If you’re looking to incorporate walking into your weekly routine, consider the following ideas: 

Walking Meetings

Don’t have time to walk? See if you can make one of your meetings at work a walking meeting. 

In Nature

While any type of walking decreases stress, often there is a strong benefit from walking in nature. This study revealed that the changes are not correlated to the duration of stay in nature. So, even a short venture can be very useful.

This study compared walking in nature vs walking on a treadmill vs viewing nature on television. While all decreased cortisol levels (more so with walking in general than viewing pictures of nature), the greatest mood improvements were achieved from walking in nature. 

The studies also revealed that the more stressed a person was before walking, the more enhanced their results were afterward. This suggests that walking is an effective tool, especially on a stressful day.

Wherever You Can

Don’t overthink it - just get outside and walk. Start with 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

Find Places to Walking in Massachusetts:

There are many great places to walk or hike in Massachusetts. If you’re looking to plan a walk and explore some new places outdoors, here are a few ideas:

• Here are some ideas on places to visit and walk in Massachusetts with amazing views and scenery

• For those that either live in the city or planning a day trip, find parks to walk in Boston, including Brookline and Cambridge.

Do you have more questions about walking for stress relief and its other health benefits?  Our team is here to help. Move Strong Physical Therapy is located in Hudson, MA.  Contact us to get back to being stronger and more athletic than before you were injured.