May is the month of walking, pioneered by Living Streets with their National Walking Month campaign. While their mission might seem somewhat innocuous, their impact has been significant and the charity has been successfully improving aspects of the UK for nearly 100 years. Zebra crossings, speed limits, and even the implementation of push-button signals were each adopted in part due to the work of Living Streets.

Now, in 2023, Living Streets continue to campaign. This time, they are championing the hashtag #Try20, which encourages individuals to try incorporating an extra 20 minutes of walking time into their day. Their intention is that even this relatively small change to individual lifestyles can have a significant impact, not only on individual health but also on the environment. 

Exercise in various forms has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. While this might suggest that individuals should each head to the gym to improve their mood and well-being, there are great benefits that can be found even in a simple stroll. Walking, for example, even two and a half hours a week, has been shown to reduce depression in adults by around 25%, with regular strolls boosting positive moods. 

These statistics are also evidenced outside of environmental factors too. This means, for example, those who are able or choose to walk in peaceful and green environments can also benefit from immersing themselves in nature. Those who stroll through woodlands have demonstrated a significant reduction in the stress hormone, cortisol. Even simply being in the sunshine can improve one’s health, with individuals able to soak up essential vitamins and deter the ill-effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

Walking, as with any form of exercise, also improves one’s physical health by burning calories, improving stamina, and benefiting the heart. What’s more, as physical health improves, so does mental well-being, with an improved physique being connected to greater confidence and happiness.

There are even other ways in which collective walking can improve mental health, with benefits to the local environment indirectly changing mental health quality for the better too. Living Streets demonstrate that walking alleviates the reliance on vehicles, both in how often and to what extent they are used. By reducing this amount, pollution levels drop. In turn, this makes the air more pleasant to breathe, streets safer to walk, and areas with the presence of traffic quieter, each of which has been shown to make pedestrians and residents happier overall.

As communities increase their time spent walking, there is a great presence in local areas. This presence means an improved scrutiny as pedestrians have a greater awareness of issues such as litter. Building this relationship with an environment encourages people to take care of it and have a greater sense of belonging that would otherwise be masked and distanced by a reliance of vehicles. Living Streets, for example, encourage walkers to initiate campaigns to clean up areas subjected to significant levels of litter and help to restore the environmental health of communities, improving social well-being too.

Remaining active and outdoors is an important part of life. Walking should be fundamental and yet it is often taken for granted, being usurped by more industrial forms of transportation. As charities, such as Living Streets and Step One, continue to promote the benefits of walking, it becomes even clearer that we must remain conscious of our surroundings and make an effort to remain, even slightly, more active.

If you are struggling with your mental health, perhaps finding even the challenge of a daily stroll insurmountable, then our Bristol Counselling and Psychotherapy team can offer a safe and non-judgmental space to begin discussing your well-being. To speak to us and arrange an initial consultation, please contact us here.