Walk To Boost Your Mood

May 5, 2018
2 min read

I came across an article last week in the New York Times with the following title: "Even a little exercise might make us happier." We know that studies have demonstrated the mental, physical, and emotional benefits from exercising, especially from walking, but this one intrigued me. According to this article, studies have shown that people who work out even once a week for as little as 10 minutes at a time are more cheerful than those who don't exercise. And it doesn't seem to matter what type of exercise you engage in.

Dr. Chen, one of the writers of the research review, also shared that more time exercising is helpful. "If people exercised for at least 30 minutes on most days, which is the stand American and European recommendation for good health, they were about 30 percent more likely to consider themselves happy than people who did not meet the guidelines."

This came at a very good time for me, because although I usually walk 40-45 miles a week, last week I was very sedentary. First I had a sinus cold, which forced me to stay home and lay low, and then I attended a three-day workshop over the weekend that meant that I was sitting most of the day. While at the workshop I didn't have much time to go walking, so I took small breaks of less than 20 minutes to get outside and relax.

And you know what? Those small breaks helped. I was able to move, stretch, and take a few photos. I knew for years that walking coupled with taking photos made me happier, so now I have more evidence that it is true.

If you have a tight schedule, with little time for your normal exercise, find small pockets in your day to get out for a walk. It only takes 10 minutes at a time for your mood to be boosted. And if you take your camera with you, or phone, take a few photos. That will add to your positive mood.

Dr. Chen says, “I think that we can safely say that people who exercise are probably going to be happier than people who don’t.” That's enough for me to get out for a walk even if I have limited time.