Walking Stress Management
I feel the need. The need... to breathe.
Is that how the quote goes? I can't remember.
If you’re feeling stressed or fighting some garden variety anxiety, welcome to the club. That seems to be just about all of us these days. One of the most powerful tools I use with clients to help them manage stress is walking.
Low intensity physical activity like walking does amazing things for our physiology and mental health as a result. It dramatically improves circulation, lymphatic flow, and metabolic rate. Also, it boosts creativity, reduces perception of stress, and gives your energy levels a stimulant-free bump.
To make sure you’re getting the most out of your walks, adhere to the following:
Walk in nature if you can. Your local wooded park or even tree lined street will work great, just make sure there isn’t much traffic noise where you’re walking. Honking, revving, and screeching are counterproductive.
Leave your phone at home, or put it on airplane mode. Looking at your phone while you’re walking negates most of the mental health benefits and puts you right back into anxiety alley
Practice some walking breath holds 3-5x per 30min walk. Details on this hack below…
To execute the walking breath hold, take three normal breaths while walking at a steady pace. On the third breath breathe all the way out and hold it empty. Count the number of steps you can take before you have to breathe again. When you do have to inhale, try to return to normal breathing cadence through the nose as quickly as possible.
Results
5-15 steps: your Co2 Tolerance could use some work
15-25 steps: you’re about average
25-35 steps: your Co2 Tolerance is good! Do you meditate?
> 35 steps: Crushing it, you’re better than most of us. Enjoy the serenity!
This process will create a strong air hunger, which can be new for many people. While the feeling can be intense, don’t worry, there’s very little risk of any harm, minus possibly tripping on a seam in the sidewalk. What you’re doing is challenging your Co2 tolerance. Without getting into the biology, the more Co2 you can tolerate, the better your perception of and resilience to stress.
Think of this as a workout for your Co2 Tolerance. Just like a muscle, the more you work it the stronger it gets. You may be disappointed with your initial efforts, but keep pushing and before you know it you’ll be setting new personal records. If you’re doing it well, you’ll notice your stress and anxiety levels will have changed even by the end of your walk.
Tips for better scores:
Keep a normal walking cadence, don’t speed up
Instead of fighting the urge to breathe, think about relaxing into it as much as possible
Raise your vision to the horizon and broaden your focus to take in a wide view in front of you
Try to go just one or two more steps on each subsequent breath hold.