A Trio for Wellness: Walking, Nature, and Mindfulness!

Did you discover the pleasure of walking during the pandemic? I´ve always loved my daily walks with my canine companions, and I´ve noticed a significant increase in walkers since 2020. A particular study shows that only 15 minutes of walking per day are enough to reduce the risks of morbidity and mortality and, in the long run, are beneficial on a cognitive level(1). Walking is an activity that anyone can practice. It is essential to our health, simple, economical, and easy to integrate into workplace health & wellness.

When we think about walking, the outdoors often comes to mind! Nature also has quite a few benefits. According to the new cross-Canada PaRx program, those who spend two or more hours in nature each week say they are healthier and happier(2). Other show that the best way to reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, is to spend 20, 30 minutes in nature(3). Surprisingly, another study suggests that simple images of vegetation would stimulate the parts of our brain known to be linked to emotions like empathy and love(4).

So, walking and nature go hand in hand! But have you ever noticed that often, we aren´t fully present when we walk? Our mind wanders, we get caught up in our plans, or we analyze situations past or future. All of this can generate stress and anxiety. When done in tandem with walking in nature, mindfulness helps us recenter our attention to the present moment and reap the many benefits of these combined practices.

LET’S REVIEW THE BENEFITS OF EACH OF THESE PRACTICES:

BENEFITS OF WALKING 5-б :

• Improves blood flow and cardiovascular health
• Prevents diseases linked to brain aging
• Increases bone density and relieves joints
• Increases daily caloric expenditure
• Relieves back pain
• Improves the process of healing

BENEFITS OF NATURE 7-8 :

• Stimulates memory, creativity, and satisfaction at work
• Reduces stress and anxious thoughts
• Increases the feeling of happiness, according to 9 out of 10 Canadians
• Greenery creates a sense of safety
• Flowers encourage positive emotions
• Natural landscapes stimulate the parts of the brain linked to empathy

BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS*:

• Decreases stress and its symptoms; reduces overthinking
• Boosts attention, concentration, and memory at work
• Reduces emotional reactivity
• Improves sleep quality
• Supports creativity

Whether working from home or the office, there are many opportunities to integrate this wellness trio into your health & wellness strategies. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Gift your employees green plants for their home office. According to many studies, this increases productivity
• Start a small indoor or outdoor garden at the office and encourage individual contributions
• Have walk-and-talk meetings, either in person or through an audio connection
• Launch a Mindful Walking initiative
• Promote PaRx: https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/
• With summer arriving, organize healthy outdoor activities and gather your teams in a more relaxed atmosphere

HAVE A HEALTHY SUMMER!

*For a more extensive list of the benefits of mindfulness, check out my article from April´s 2022 here.

[1] https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/medium-large/segments/panel/34977/bienfaits-marche-cornellier-caron-berher-despres

[2] https://www.cchst.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/walking.html

[3] https://www.monepicierbio.ca/blogue/bienfaits-de-nature-sante/

[4] https://www.prescri-nature.ca/pourquoi-la-nature

[5] https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/medium-large/segments/panel/34977/bienfaits-marche-cornellier-caron-berher-despres

[6] https://www.prescri-nature.ca

[7] https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/60522d54e753f6c4c0b912e8/627edec8a7b99b56d0632c5f_PN – Brochure-Santé mentale.pdf

[8] https://www.monepicierbio.ca/blogue/bienfaits-de-nature-sante/