From 30-day walking challenges to wall Pilates, we have social media to thank for many fitness trends. But the latest one doing the rounds is silent walking.
Silent walking is walking without distractions—so no podcasts, music, messaging or voice notes. Instead, the idea is to focus on the here and now, as well as the sights and sounds around you.
"Silent walking is a great stress reliever," says Sarah Cannon, psychological wellbeing practitioner and walking therapist at Living Well UK. "Not only does it lower stress hormones, and reduce activity in the brain regions responsible for stress processing, but it also improves mood, enhances your mental outlook, and helps to create peace of mind." This is something that can be tricky to find in a world full of notifications and 'likes'.
Of course, in practice, silent walking is nothing new. But after hearing about the benefits this approach can bring, I was sold. I decided to silent walk for at least 15 minutes a day for a week. Here’s what I found.
1. Silent walking takes time to get used to
When I’m on a walk, I’m usually doing one of two things: listening to a podcast or catching up on voice notes. But silent walking meant I couldn’t do that. There were no distractions or things to listen to. It was just me, my walking pace and the sights and sounds of the great outdoors. It took a little while to adjust to this, but once I did I felt more present and less stressed.
2. Silent walking isn’t silent
In fact it’s pretty loud. I live just off a busy high street which means there are usually cars, bikes and people all around. If it’s not disgruntled drivers honking their horns or passersby talking, there’s construction work going on or police sirens whizzing past.
The world is a busy place. And silent walking gave me a friendly reminder that life is going on outside of your four walls, away from the work and stressors of daily life.
3. I felt more present
I don’t know whether I’m surprised (or a bit shocked) to admit this. But as a millennial, it’s hard to remember a time before phones. For something so small and unassuming, my phone and all its notifications, apps and incessant scrolling takes up a lot of time and space in my mind.
Being without it forced me to be in the here and now. It made me look up and really ‘see’ the sights, sounds and people around me.
4. You don’t need to walk for hours to reap the rewards
On some days, 15 minutes was all the time I could spare to get outside but I still felt the benefits that walking can bring. A brisk 15-minute walk helped me reduce stress levels, get a screen break and reset my posture. It even helped clear my mind so when I sat back at my desk, I was ready to complete my next task.
Sometimes, the world on social media leads you to believe that if you’re not dripping with sweat or gasping for breath, you haven’t done it right. But experts and science say otherwise.
This study published in the Health Promotion Perspectives found that 10 minutes of brisk walking can show an improvement in mood.
Walking therapist Cannon agrees with these findings. "Finding a frequency and duration that works for each individual and their schedule will be important, as it will help ensure consistency," she says. "Even shorter, regular sessions can bring about many benefits over time."
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