We all know what it is like to experience stress in our lives, and sometimes we are under so much stress, it affects our quality of life. It may mess with our sleep, give us chronic headaches, make our temper short, cause us to get sick, and the list goes on and on… the good news is we can transform stress with walking.

The real problem with stress is that when our bodies stay flooded with stress hormones, it can have profound and detrimental effects on our health. It can affect our immune system, causing illness, or even more chronic conditions like heart disease or cancer. It is normal to have bouts of stress, and of course, we cannot get rid of stress in our lives, that is simply unrealistic.  However, we can develop ways of coping with and calming stress so that it doesn’t destroy our health, life, and relationships. One way we can do this is by using walking to reset, calm ourselves, and support our overall health and well-being. 

Walking activates our feel-good endorphins, which can immediately calm anxiety and stress, and may provide pain relief. Walking also helps to lower blood pressure, clear our mind, and help us to spend that extra energy we get from reacting to stress, which can also help our sleep. Walking with a friend or loved one also allows us to connect, perhaps vent, and gain a different perspective. Walking helps with blood sugar and, weight regulation, and may help with depression too!    

We always hear about walking as one of the main forms of movement and exercise, but did you know the benefits can run this deep? If you are feeling the physical or health effects of stress, I encourage you to think of how you might build even a 15–20-minute walk into your day. The benefits are too numerous to count, and, you will most certainly help support your overall health! Are you ready to transform stress with walking?