The Benefits of Winter Walks

Despite the technological aids we have to make life easier, modern life can mean we feel like we are constantly rushing around – and it can be worse at this time of year.  Taking a walk for its own purpose, gives us a chance to slow down and look around.  Take time to see how the appearance of the area has changed through the year – the difference in the natural light, changes to houses or changes to the natural scenery.  Try walking a route that you wouldn’t normally take and look around.  Look at the frosted cobwebs and patterns on frozen leaves or patches of water.  Think about what photographs you could take – this may help you notice more about what is around you.

If you are in a more natural environment you may be able to enjoy some of things you did as a child – the crunching of the frosty grass; the scrunching of any remaining dried leaves; being the first to leave footprints in an untouched area of snow.  If there is snow, why not even throw some snowballs if you have a walking companion?  You know you want to!

Slowing down like this not only allows us to appreciate our surroundings, but it can also help to us to improve our mood, de-stress and reinvigorate us ready for the next challenge.

Sitting around all the time is bad for our circulation.  Think about it, we sit in cars and/or buses, sit at desks, sit at kitchen/dining tables, sit huddled up on the sofa, etc.  These things don’t help to get our blood moving around our bodies.  Movement and getting the blood flowing helps to lower blood pressure,  move nutrients around the body, and warm us up!  Yep, you may not need that blanket round you on the settee, you may just need to get your body moving.

This can help those at risk of varicose veins too.  This is because walking helps to pump the blood from your lower legs and back towards the heart.  This reduces the pressure in the leg veins that contributes to varicose veins.  In addition, walking can help individuals maintain a lower body weight, which also helps to reduce the risk of varicose veins.

There has been a small-scale study that showed that the impact of your foot hitting the floor when walking sends pressure waves through the arteries to the brain!  This is thought to improve blood flow to the brain therefore increasing the amount of energy and oxygen reaching the brain.  This helps the brain perform better.  There is also a theory that exercise helps to get the brain’s neurons moving which helps the brain to function better too.

Walking can help increase your cells’ insulin sensitivity meaning that your cells are better able to utilise the sugar from your blood.  Furthermore, as you walk your muscles increase the amount of glucose they take in for energy irrespective of the presence of insulin.  These aspects, along with reduced cortisol levels from the walking activity*, help individuals with pre-diabetes and diabetes in particular.  The benefits for blood sugar provided by moderate exercise can even continue for several hours after the exercise has been completed.  If you have been diagnosed as diabetic, please consult with your medical team before increasing your exercise level to ensure you are not at risk of hypoglycaemia, and how best to manage this risk.

*A study in 2016 found that walking has an even greater effect on blood sugar when combined with meditation (good for reducing stress and cortisol levels) (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229916300346?casa_token=UnNn7zxlq84AAAAA:vUv0_60JvYX_gvXlkY398-Ow-M5iO4ukSNqbSwKmyxR5RwUE92fZVMX9c3znwZNuJsVi8DwVnQ).

As I’ve mentioned in a few recent posts, walking after a meal helps your body move food through the gut, supporting digestion.  The motion helps to stimulate the stomach and intestines.   This may help reduce constipation, heartburn and reflux.

If walking straight after a meal appears to trigger symptoms of indigestion, you may need to wait a little longer between eating and exercising to allow your food to ‘settle’, and walk at a slower pace to start with.

Walking, like other exercise, has been associated with improved immune systems as fitter people take fewer ‘sick days’ and experience fewer respiratory infections.  Simply, this is due to an increase in white blood cells, which we use to fight infection and disease.

If possible walk in open, less crowded areas to reduce your risk of exposure to potential infections and viruses.

Getting outside into natural light helps keep our circadian rhythms in check.  Daytime walking helps our bodies to recognise that it is daytime and wake up; evening walking is believed to help boost sleep hormones such as melatonin.  Don’t exercise too close to bedtime though as this may boost your energy levels and keep you awake!

This is a great article about the effect of light on sleep, including sleep disruptors like sleeping with a light on, jet lag and shift work: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/light-and-sleep#:~:text=The%20way%20light%20alters%20circadian,backward%20toward%20a%20later%20bedtime.

–

So many benefits to something that many of us can do easily.  If you can’t walk for any reason, try to get outside for a short time daily to get some of the benefits of fresh air and daylight to support your health.  Those who can: grab those winter woollies, waterproofs, and walking boots or wellies, and go and enjoy the great outdoors!  You don’t have to go far to get the benefits, just a brisk walk around the block is better than going nowhere.  My family often enjoys winter walks around the village streets if the surrounding fields are likely to be very muddy and slippery.

For some tips on safety when out walking, take a look at this article: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/walking/