Walking for Mental Health

Walking for Mental Health and My Walking Challenge for 2016

We all know that waking is good for our physical health but it is also great for our mental health and there is no better time to look after ourselves and start some self-care than now.

There are so many benefits of walking, including:

·Helping to collect your thoughts.

·Releasing endorphins which lift your mood, with 88% of people seeing an overall improvement in mood after going for a walk (according to a study by Mind).

·Reducing your stress levels.

·A soothing activity which reduces anxiety and depression.

·A fantastic natural anti-depressant shown to be as effective as anti-depressant medication for treating mild to moderate depression.

·Walking with someone else or in a group can help to overcome feelings of loneliness.

·Helping you to be physically fitter and can be a positive step towards greater self-confidence and positive body image.

Walking also gets us out into nature and can be a very therapeutic and spiritual experience. Walking for me feels as if I’m on holiday where I start to immediately feel more relaxed and stress-free, as if I am miles from home, from work, or from any stress I have. For me walking is a process of being in the moment, being mindful of my environment, and letting go. It’s a tranquil and spiritual experience for my mind, body and soul.

And there has been no better time for me to start walking again as we’ve just had National Walking Month and there were plenty of amazing walks to choose from. I’m also spoilt for choice as I’m near to both Rutland Water and the National Forest, and I have had the pleasure to visit both during the past few weeks, so it’s been the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and explore the wonderful nature right on my doorstep!

Walk 500 miles Challenge

To keep me motivated on my walks I’ve signed up to the #walk 500miles challenge (set by Country Walking magazine) to walk 500 miles (between 1st May until the end of 2016). This should help me to clock up the miles and get me out to as many different beautiful walks and scenery as possible!

To find out more information about the #walk500miles or #walk1000miles Challenge or to sign up to the challenge yourself, see here for further details: https://display.engagesciences.com/display/container/d/f28d4b95-c6e6-4d45-a9bf-ce6e8dd5a2df/details

I will be blogging my #walk500miles Challenge progress throughout the year, so you can also check out where I’ve been walking, photos of my walks, how far I’ve managed to walk each week and how it’s felt! If you are doing a walking challenge or any other challenge/project for your own self-care and mental health, I would love to hear about it! #walkingformentalhealth #natureastherapy #walk500miles