Happy 2023! We hope everyone had a relaxing and eventful holiday season, and are entering the New Year refreshed! We here at Living Streets are thrilled to have a fresh calendar year of fun walking events and opportunities to explore our communities at your own pace. We know the start of a new year can be a time for setting personal resolutions and goals- improving physical and mental health can be a big one for many of us! Fortunately, walking has it all, and can be easily implemented into your daily life and schedule without learning anything new!
Some physical health benefits of walking include:
Maintaining physical health
Preventing various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes
Improving cardiovascular fitness
Strengthening your bones and muscles
Increasing energy levels
Improving your balance and coordination
Strengthening immune system
The longer and faster you walk, the more physical benefits you will receive. But sometimes, all you need is a short, low-pace stroll!. Even that will bring immense benefits!
Some mental health benefits of walking include:
Mood: Walking helps boost your mood because it increases blood flow and blood circulation to the brain and body. It has a positive influence on your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is your central nervous response system.
Stress relief: walking can release stressful emotions and feelings bottled up in the body. Walking increases endorphin release in the brain, which is known to help reduce stress and lighten your mood to build positive emotions throughout the body.
Better sleep: one of the best ways to get good sleep every night is to walk regularly. Walking is a physical activity, but it also exhausts the mind. So after a long walk, you can rest assured that you will get good sleep.
Loneliness: Walking with a friend or a group can help reduce loneliness and isolation. Walking outside also gives you a chance to connect with someone you may not otherwise!
Creativity: walking, especially outside, can get creative juices flowing and trigger creative thoughts. It can also help process emotions and feelings.
Although walking in general will reap these benefits, walking in nature or exploring a new neighbourhood at your own speed will increase the enjoyment of your walk, create opportunities for social connectivity and allow you to discover new sights and sounds!
Starting to walk on a consistent basis doesn’t have to be difficult! To set yourself up for success, start with simple goals; make walking more enjoyable by walking with a friend or choosing a nature route; make it comfortable by wearing the proper gear; and vary your routine to keep things interesting. Just switching part of your commute to walking makes all the difference, and you know it feels way better to walk!!
Keep an eye out for our 2023 MeetUp walking events and opportunities, and we look forward to seeing you out there!
