It’s been that kind of day—you know the kind—one thing after another. You didn’t sleep well and then you arrive at work to a crisis in progress. When you get home, more drama. You have an unpleasant exchange with a friend over something silly. You eat poorly because you don’t have the motivation to cook a proper meal. Your nerves are on edge and your mind is racing with worry.
You decide you need a break before you break, and you get in the car. You drive and drive, passing all your familiar haunts, leaving their stress in your rearview mirror.
You arrive to a sea of trees, with a creek trickling through, and already your blood pressure begins to lower.
After parking, you walk slowly into this calm, green forested area for a peaceful reprieve from all that’s plaguing you. The wind rustles just enough to rattle the leaves into a symphony of sound as the birds join in song—a harmony that reaches the deepest parts of your soul. You take a deep breath and fresh, clean air enters your lungs.
With each step you take further into nature, you feel your shoulders relax, your eyesight clear and your thoughts soften. Mother Gaia is beginning to heal you, one breath at a time.
On this Take a Walk Outdoors Day, we’ll examine the mental and physical benefits of observing the ‘holiday’ and offer additional ways to experience nature year-round.
Physical Benefits
Vascular Health. It’s true—walking in general is good for your heart. It improves blood flow, reduces blood clot risk, strengthens muscles, improves mobility and lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Walking in nature is especially good because your body doesn’t have the interference of city pollutants, but instead ingests fresh oxygen produced by the trees.
Weight Management. Walking in nature can help regulate your metabolism and keep your body at a healthy weight by burning excess calories.
Immunity Boost. Time in nature, whether spent walking or doing any other activity, boosts your Vitamin D (even if it’s not sunny outside), which improves your resistance to infections and helps strengthen your bones.
Better Sleep. Studies prove that those who spend time in nature, and regularly expose themselves to natural light cycles, develop healthier sleep patterns and experience more restful nights of slumber.
Stress Reduction. Cortisol levels are naturally reduced after 20 minutes fully immersed in a green space environment, which lowers stress that can be harmful to our bodies.
Mental Benefits
Cognitive Function. Spending concentrated time in nature unwinding has been proven to sharpen focus, extend attention spans and enhance creativity. Legendary writers such as Charles Dickens, Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf all took breaks to walk in between sessions of writing to spark their inspiration and clear their minds.
Mood Boost. Positive emotions, conflict resolution and an ease of depression and anxiety can all result from a walk in a natural environment. For an extra charge of energy, those who walk barefoot (also known as “grounding”) have reported additional relief.
Memory Enhancement. Those who struggle with retaining information may want to consider walking in nature, as research indicates it can aid in improving memory function.
Emotional Well-being. If you’re exploring nature, you are presumably disconnected from your phone (save for taking a few photos), which will remove mental triggers from news reports or other connections that may cause you unrest.
Overcoming Internal Rebuttals
While this all sounds great, and we know that a walk in nature is good for our mind/body/soul, many struggle with the motivation to actually go—and that’s fair. Realistically, we can all find valid reasons not to get out the door. Here are just a few:
- It will take too much time away from work/family/chores.
- The weather is not great.
- Driving to a location costs money (if you have a gas-powered car).
- It may be difficult to park at the location due to the popularity of the trail.
- I’ll have to change clothes/shoes (and then change back if I’m returning to work).
- My body doesn’t feel great (joints stiff/headache/too tired).
- I’m worried for my safety going alone and I don’t have anyone to call to go with me right now.
The truth is, though these excuses have merit, the benefits of actually pushing yourself out the door far outweigh the detriments outlined above. The endorphin rush alone will cause those anxieties to dissipate, at the very least.
Think about it: When was the last time you regretted going outside, into the natural world for a walk?
Get Outdoors Every Day
With all the evidence in favour of building better health, are you ready to make some time in nature a regular ritual, if not daily, then perhaps 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday & Friday? That way, the pressure isn’t on to walk daily, but at least you’re making the effort, and will still benefit greatly. And if you need ideas about where to find safe places to explore green spaces year-round, we’ve collected some resources that may be helpful:
For those who enjoy hiking and/or biking, several trail apps cover international locations and share current weather conditions, tips from others who have visited, and logistical information like parking and pass requirements (if applicable). Most also offer a free version of their app if the ‘extras’ aren’t something you need. A few of the most popular choices include Wikiloc, All Trails, and Trailforks.
Families interested in taking vacations into nature may wish to consider National Parks, which are often inexpensive or free and offer some of the most majestic views and experiences on the planet. Nationalparks.org offers a directory of parks worldwide. Simply select the continent you wish to visit, then choose the corresponding country from the dropdown menu.
Those who desire a more adventurous journey into nature can volunteer in Africa with an award-winning conservation group. Or, explore a variety of conservation-based volunteer opportunities across the globe.
If you enjoy gardening, Almanac offers a how-to web page for growing vegetables. If you want to take it a step further and rewild your yard, Mossy Earth has several tips to guide you through the process.
Of course, you can also search “parks” or “trails” or “nature preserves” in the map of your Smartphone to access locations near to your home, then search the relevant website, reviews, etc. to learn more about them.
Whatever strikes your fancy, take time for yourself to enjoy this beautiful planet we share—and remember to always… Love the Earth.🙏
“Follow, 2014” by Julian Lennon is available for purchase on Artsy.
To make a one-time donation or become a member of The Desert Bloom, which allocates funds directly to projects that benefit The Environment, start here.
As a lifetime-long distance walker, I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this article. We were meant to walk. Walking has so many different benefits and increases life expectancy along with the many psychological benefits. Fantastic article!
Excellent!🙌👏🙏❤️
Yes. Walking is wonderful!
Interesting essay and great reminder to keep moving ! Thank you both .
Walking in nature is my happy place! I adore this picture of Ethiopia too. Thanks!
Walking enhances back strength and posture alignment. Also has least amount of joint friction and is great for asthma sufferers.