Part 2 – The Science of Walking Therapy
The relationship between Mind, Body and Spirit is as old as time. Strangely we sometimes get lost in looking for new solutions when the most effective ones are right under our noses.
Walking Therapy is an example of this as science has for a long time delivered the evidence.
What science knows and what we do
Here are a selection of just 10 of the benefits science has proven when combining talking and exercise in a therapeutic setting:
- Walking therapy can have positive effects on overall quality of life, with one study showing that participants who engaged in regular walking reported higher levels of life satisfaction and overall wellbeing. (University of Sheffield, 2018)
- A 2018 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that walking in nature reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Walking therapy has been found to be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety, with one study showing that 83% of participants reported significant improvements in mood after just one session. (MIND, 2016)
- A 2013 study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that walking in nature leads to improvements in mood and self-esteem
- A 2019 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that nature walks can improve mood and cognitive functioning in people with depression
- Research by the University of Edinburgh found that spending time in nature has a positive effect on cognitive functioning, including attention, working memory and problem-solving
- Walking therapy has also been found to improve cognitive function and memory, with one study showing that regular walking can reduce the risk of developing dementia by up to 40%. (Alzheimer’s Society, 2018)
- A 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that walking in nature improves cognitive functioning by reducing rumination, a repetitive negative thought process associated with depression and anxiety
- Walking therapy has been found to improve cardiovascular health, with regular walking reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions. (British Heart Foundation, 2020)
- Walking therapy has been found to be an effective treatment for insomnia, with one study showing that participants who combined walking therapy with regular exercise (30 minutes each day for six weeks) reported significant improvements in sleep quality. (Sleep Research Society, 2018).
What is stopping us trying Walking Therapy?
Nothing is the logical answer. You could just click Book Now and you are underway.
The more likely answer is that as with change generally, we are waiting for someone else to do it first. This is a psychological bias known as ‘Social Proof’.
Essentially, we prefer to watch someone else experience something new but also don’t want to be the last to try. So, we sit in the middle.
The challenge
One of the good things about at least giving Walking Therapy a try is that there is no downside risk. After all, you are choosing to exercise, what you talk about and in what is entirely up to you.
If you really don’t like it then simply return to a different therapeutic setting (eg online or in-person). We haven’t had that happen yet.
So really the choice is yours: Do you wait and see and let someone else dictate the shape and speed of working through your challenges to feel better or will you take the lead and decide for yourself?
What do I do next?
If you want to give Walking Therapy a try just press Book Now.
If you want to carry on reading about Walking Therapy – What is it? (Part 1 of our Series) or more detail on The Benefits of Walking Therapy (Part 3 of our Series), just click on those links.
You can still book at any time from links on those blogs.