Practicing meditative walking is a good way to reduce stress and anxiety, increase creativity, improve your communication with yourself, and lower blood sugar levels. It is also good for your heart, reducing arterial stiffness.
Improves communication with yourself
Practicing meditative walking is a great way to reduce stress, increase focus, and improve overall health. A study conducted at the University of California, Irvine revealed that meditative walking improves communication with yourself. The researchers found that participants who participated in the meditation for 10 minutes per week over a period of two weeks improved their stress levels and overall health scores by nearly 40 percent. Using a Polar heart rate monitor to quantify participants’ cardiovascular performance, researchers devised a study design to determine which participants were most likely to benefit from a meditative walking regimen.
Participants in the study were grouped into a control group and a meditation group. Participants walked at an average speed of 4 mph for the duration of the study. The researchers performed discrete and unbiased analyses on heart rate data at four time points.
Reduces anxiety
Taking a mindful walk can be a great way to boost your mental health. By practicing mindfulness, you may be able to overcome common concerns like anxiety.
If you’re new to mindful walking, there are apps to help guide you through the process. For example, there is a popular subscription-based app called Calm. The app features thousands of tracks for various wellness activities, including walking meditations.
In addition to its mental health benefits, walking is also good for your body. Its sedentary nature can help reduce muscle tension and improve sleep quality. Walking also reduces constipation, which is good for the digestive tract.
A study on the benefits of meditation and walking compared the two, and found that the benefits of walking were more numerous than those of meditation.
Reduces blood sugar levels
Several studies have shown that meditative walking reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Yoga and meditation can affect the immune system, psyche, and metabolism. They are beneficial in maintaining health and alleviating the quality of life for people with diabetes.
According to the Nurses Health Study, people who walk regularly have a 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, walking at a “brisk” pace can reduce your risk by 41 percent.
Although studies have found that walking reduces blood sugar levels, more research is needed to understand whether or not it is the most effective type of exercise for people with diabetes. Some studies have found that other aerobic exercises may be more beneficial for reducing blood sugar levels.
Walking briskly for a minute and a half every half hour has been found to lower glucose levels and insulin levels. The best time to exercise after eating is 30 minutes to 45 minutes after eating.
Reduces arterial stiffness
Performing mindful walking improves blood pressure, decreases stress and improves heart health. Meditative walking is not limited to the gym. You can also perform it in nature. Using a walking meditation device can help you focus on your ankle movements while improving your balance.
One study measured the relative effectiveness of aerobic exercise and stretching to improve arterial stiffness. The researchers randomly assigned 40 participants to perform brisk walking and stretching exercises, respectively, five days per week for eight weeks. After twelve weeks, the groups showed statistically significant improvements in flow-mediated dilatation and maximal oxygen consumption. In addition, participants demonstrated improved resting brachial diameter, which is considered the first rung on the ladder to increased cardiovascular fitness.
Meditative walking has been shown to reduce arterial stiffness, reduce blood pressure and improve balance in elderly women. Studies also suggest that performing mindful walking is beneficial for diabetics and pre-diabetics.
Boosts creativity
Taking a meditative walk in nature can improve memory and increase creativity. This has been found to be a useful tool for people who sit at their desk all day.
Mindful walking can also help reduce stress and anxiety and increase focus. It can also help you learn to stay focused on your destination. It can help you get your mind off your work, and it can be a great gateway habit to a healthier life.
Researchers at Stanford University have found that walking can boost creative output by 60%. They surveyed 176 adults and found that creative thinking improved while they were walking. Their results also showed that the creative juices continued to flow for several minutes after they finished their walk.
While the exact physiology is unknown, walking may have benefits for creativity due to its dynamic interaction between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Both hemispheres of the brain are used for a variety of tasks.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://quietmeditations.com/dealing-with-stress-at-work/
