4 ways walking can boost your mental health
Take the first step towards a healthier, happier lifestyle by adding walking to your routine.
Walking is easy, doesn't cost a cent and it comes with many great health benefits.
Walking for just 30 minutes a day has been proven to help strengthen muscles, aid with weight-loss and even lower the risk of chronic disease. Apart from those benefits, walking has also been found to do wonders for your mental health.
Over the years, researchers have been conducting studies to determine the link between walking and mental health.
Below are the findings:
Reduces bad mental health days
A recent study published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry looked at data from over a million people over four years and found that people who walked found that their bad mental health days reduced by over 10%.
Makes you more creative
Ever noticed how taking a walk during a stressful situation can help make you see things a little clearer?
According to a 2014 study, taking regular walks helps spark creativity.
Researchers administered creative-thinking tests to subjects while seated and while walking. The study found that the walkers thought more creatively than the sitters.
Helps prevent depression
Walking eases symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
“In a survey of 1 750 doctors, 85% reported that they prescribed exercise, including walking, for treating depression (and 60% prescribed exercise to treat anxiety),” health.howstuffworks.com reported.
Dr Melina B. Jampolis, author of “The Doctor on Demand Diet”, told Prevention.com "research shows that regular walking actually modifies your nervous system so much that you’ll experience a decrease in anger and hostility”.
Slows mental decline
According to a study posted in arthritis.org, there was a lower age-related memory decline in women who had regular walks.
So, what are you waiting for? Start walking now.
Disclaimer: Health-related information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems. It is always advisable to consult with your doctor on any health-related issues.
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