Step Up Your Spring Walks: 3 Ways to Boost Your Walking Practice

The word is out.  Walking has so many health benefits that countless people are now incorporating this form of exercise into their day.
Now that Spring is in the air in the Northern Hemisphere, we have an opportunity to add some extra pep to our steps with these three tips.

One:  Learn about the medicinal herbs that are growing along your walking path.  For example, just this morning I picked some purple dead nettles which when boiled in water to make tea can have diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial effects. (1)  Before harvesting any plants for medicinal use, be sure to consult with a certified Herbalist and your licensed healthcare team to ensure that it is safe for you to use.

Two:  Take notice and appreciate the emergence of Spring.  We all get hijacked by stress, but taking time to slow down and connect with our natural world has been shown to have significant stress-reducing benefits. (2).

If you walk the same path regularly, notice how the tree branches begin with simple buds along their branches.  In a day or two those buds may begin to swell.  As the temperature warms and daylight extends, a leaf may begin to unfurl before your eyes.  Ask yourself, how are you choosing to emerge this Spring season?  Can you extend yourself some grace as you notice that the natural environment around you recreates itself slowly, not all at once?

Three:  Add an evening walk to your day.  A morning walk within an hour of waking has a profound impact on regulating our circadian rhythm which can significantly help us sleep well. (3). As daylight increases, we have the opportunity to add a walk to the end of our day.  Not only will we improve our digestion (4), but if we time it right, we may get to experience the awe of a magnificent sunset.

Want to learn more about how walking with Nature can enhance your holistic health?  Download Get In Step With Nature now LINK.  Free for kindleunlimited users.