Go For A Walk To Reduce Stress and Prevent Anxiety

Let’s talk about something quick and easy you can do to prevent anxiety or at the very least greatly reduce the effects it has on you. It’s going for a walk regularly. It’s another one of those deceptively simple strategies that work very well. For quite a few people with mild to moderate anxiety, it tends to get better results than medication. All it takes is a pair of comfortable shoes and as little as 15 minutes of your time.

While walking won’t stop the anxiety causing thoughts and isn’t a complete cure, it will allow you to cope with your anxiety much better. It will bring you relief and keep you from worrying and stressing about it. Walking works in a variety of different ways to help with anxiety.

The first is the simple act that you’re moving around. It has an instantly calming effect. I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s hard to sit still when you’re nervous and anxious. You feel like you have to move around. Take it to the next level by going for a brisk walk.

We’ve talked about breathing exercises in a past post. Walking forces you to take slow and steady breaths, making you do a simple, calming breathing exercise while you walk without you noticing it. As an added bonus, the walk will distract you from your negative and worrying thoughts. This is particularly true and helpful if you walk outside in a pretty setting like a park.

Last but not least, exercise including walking releases endorphins that improve your mood and calm you down. They directly counter-act the excess adrenalin that cause you to feel anxious and fearful. After a nice walk you’ll feel noticeably calmer and more content.

The longer you walk, the better you feel, but even something as simple as a 15 minute stroll through the neighbourhood will bring you relief.

There are two ways you can use walking to combat anxiety. The first is as an immediate treatment. Go for a quick walk when you are feeling anxious. The quicker you can catch it and get moving, the better. A short walk can stop the anxiety from getting worse and get you back to feeling your happy, normal self.

Don’t just stop there though. Make it a habit to go for a daily walk. Make it part of your routine.

Unfortunately, with what is going on in the world right now, many of us can't go outdoors for walks. That's ok, you can do it at home.

I live in Canada where our winters are really cold and I hate going outside when it is. I started walking in my home everyday to just help me to get moving and hopefully get my anxiety under control. I don't use a treadmill and I didn't have a large home to roam around in. So instead, I just started walking in place. At first I tried walking while watching tv but I kept getting distracted and found myself just standing still in front of the TV totally focused on the program and not moving.

I changed up my walking routine to just walking in place and listening to my favourite songs. That seemed to work but after a while, I started losing motivation so I purchased a Fitbit to keep track of how many steps I was doing in a day. It also helped me set goals and monitor my sleep patterns. I also joined my sisters in an online community where we can see how many steps each other is putting in. I have to say that I am competitive and this really helps me to walk even on days when I really don't feel like it. As an added bonus, I've lost over 20 pounds in 1 year from just doing this.

If I can do it, you can do it! Get that blood moving, and get those endorphins flowing through your system. Not only is it great for your overall health and well-being, it will also reduce how often and how severe your anxiety attacks are. Give it a try. Commit to a daily walk and see these benefits for yourself.

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