Man since ancient times has travelled the world walking great distances, until technological advances have simplified life and have made us more sedentary, however, in recent decades there has been a growing awareness of the importance of exercise for health not only physical but also mental and emotional. In this sense, it can be said that walking is something more than that, since this activity of the human being connects us with our surroundings, leading us to value the air we breathe, to feel healthy and to maintain a positive attitude towards life.

Therefore, walking outdoors often nourishes the spirit, invites us to reflect on the importance of having contact with nature, to appreciate every element that is in it, enjoying the images, the landscapes, the smells, the sounds, the blowing of the wind, the rays of the sun or the raindrops that could fall on our bodies during an unexpected rain.

Opening our hearts and our minds to a natural scenario will fill us with energy and connect us spiritually with the nature of which we are a part, and we are not its owners, so the physical exercise done with outdoor walks provides us physical health and also gives us peace, tranquillity, reflection and relaxation. What else can we ask, so, dear friends, if you are in a period of life where sedentary lifestyle has clothed you, get out of that state right now, take off your sports clothes, your shoes and especially your desire, and start today to walk, you will soon see their benefits.

Now, let’s first highlight the physical benefits of this type of exercise. Let’s start by mentioning that by walking for 30 minutes at a light pace, we can increase our heart rate, since it facilitates the pumping of blood that favours the function of the heart and the circulatory system.

In addition, you can reduce the levels of bad cholesterol, increasing the levels of good cholesterol, maintaining control of blood pressure. In this way, it can prevent heart attacks, but it also brings emotional benefits, because it can reduce depression if it is done frequently.

It should be noted that the reduction or elimination of bad cholesterol is excellent for the health of our arteries, and according to the English Association “Stroke” helps to prevent heart attacks by 27 percent, reducing the risk of stroke. On this subject, the University of North Carolina in the United States, conducted a study through which it was shown that people who for 18 years retained the habit of walking at a rapid pace five times a week, had 40% less chances of being victims of a stroke, compared to people who maintained a sedentary life.

On the other hand, walking several times a week prevents type 2 diabetes or reduces the risk of suffering from this disease. This statement is corroborated by the organization “Walking for Health”, which according to their studies shows that people who walk every day are 60% less likely to acquire this disease.

In addition, who does not want to reduce stress and depression, be relaxed and with a clear mind, with a more positive attitude? Well, you have the solution in your hands or your feet, in fact, you should only decide to do a physical activity that will help you to promote the production of endorphins in your organisms, through a hormone that stimulates the spirit and make full of energy to the people, which reduces and minimizes negative attitudes, bad mood, stress and depression.

With reference to this point, it is convenient to mention the research carried out by a team of North American and British researchers from the universities of Michigan and Edge Hill, who published   a study carried out to a group of 1991 participants of the English program “Walking for health”, organizer of about 3,000 walks per week for more than 70,000 regular participants. The results proved that after 13 weeks, people who chose the walks at least once a week experienced positive emotions and less stress “those who remained sedentary, confirming that outdoor group walks help to combat stress and foster mental well-being.

In this way, outdoor walks in direct contact with nature are associated, according to this type of studies, with much lower percentages of depression, minimizing the negative effects of stressful and conflictive situations in everyday life.

On the other hand, according to the website Body Mind (2018) “hiking or” trekking “works as a therapy for body and mind”. In this way, combining physical exercise with a natural environment, full of colours, smells and gratifying sensations, produces beneficial effects for the body, mind and spirit, which is corroborated by Gregory Bratman of Stanford University, who argues that “a 90-minute walk through a natural environment reduces worries and anxiety, modifying thinking routines and eliminating the causes of stress.

For her part, Irina Wen, a clinical psychologist at the New York University medical centre, says that “nature is beneficial for mental health, because it reduces intellectual fatigue and stress, which can mitigate depression and anxiety”.

Other studies carried out by psychologists Ruth Ann Atchley and David Strayer have shown that after 4 days of hiking in contact with nature, the creativity of people is activated. This study included a group of participants, who had to leave their cell phones and / or any type of technology in their homes, so that they did not interfere with the contact between them and nature. The methodology of this study included the performance of intellectual tests that required a creative solution in the middle of the mountain, demonstrating that the participants improved their performance by 50%.

This is because conducting an outdoor walk increases the ability to concentrate, minimizes attention deficit disorder, both in children and adults, and increases attention.

As if that were not enough, if they decide to walk in groups, they could socialize more and better, leaving aside the loneliness that in difficult moments fills us with melancholy, sadness and depression, and if we do not know how to handle it, it could become our worst enemy. So, what better alternative can we have than to keep fit, reduce stress, be happy, socialize, communicate and not feel alone and discouraged.

If you decide to walk daily for one hour at a brisk pace, you could burn up to 200 calories, and if you increase your speed you will be able to tone up your bodies, in order to build endurance and stay away from being overweight if you accompany the walks with a balanced diet.

Another significant benefit of the walks is the improvement of the absorption of Vitamin D, which has a basic role for the organism, because it is the one that carries out the regulation of calcium and phosphorus, besides strengthening the immune system. This is achieved thanks to sun exposure during the walk.

Also, frequent walks benefit the strengthening of the bones, stimulating the entire bone system, which is essential for women over 50 years of age, who also need to exercise their joints to prevent arthritis, which is a very serious disease frequent in people of the third age.

On the other hand, we all know the importance of having an active sexual life, which in many cases diminishes in intensity. But, some studies have shown that regular physical activity promotes and improves sexuality, especially in people over 50, because a daily walk relaxes the mind, maintains an active circulation, benefits the production of endorphins and improves the muscular tone, which directly affects the sexual life of people, providing greater security and self-confidence, which favours the performance of the sexual act.

In a different note, when making quick walks of one hour you can burn between 400 and 700 calories, to which is added an enhancement of memory, because there is a relationship between the legs and the brain that is stimulated by the aerobic exercise. This benefits us mentally, providing more energy, an adequate attitude to face adverse situations, which makes us overcome obstacles, which definitely brings us well-being.

In short, walking is something more than just that, as the title of this article affirms, even more so when this activity is carried out in contact with nature, since our mind calms down, achieving levels of calm that we would not achieve if we stayed submerged in the world of sedentary life, flowing positive thoughts, dreams, goals, new objectives.

In this way, if you encounter the wall of limitations and mental laments, resort to inspiring walks that increase your physical condition, will fill your minds with positivity, motivating you to face new challenges on a personal, work, social and why not spiritual, because we cannot forget that spirituality gives meaning to our lives, and we must evolve spiritually to be better people, making significant and transcendental contributions through our ideas, thoughts, words and actions.

ALFA