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6 Expert-Approved Ways To Make Your Next Walk More Stress-Reducing

Author:

Kelly Hale MS, OTR/L, IMT,c, NCPT

March 14, 2024

Occupational Therapist

By Kelly Hale MS, OTR/L, IMT,c, NCPT

Occupational Therapist

Kelly has 25 years of experience in the wellness & rehab fields as an Occupational Therapist, restorative movement specialist, and nervous system regulation expert.

Image by rawpixel / iStock

March 14, 2024

There's a lot to love about walking. It's accessible, affordable (you just need a pair of good sneakers), low-impact, and comes with plenty of health benefits—from supporting bone density to relieving stress. But in my 25-year career as an occupational therapist, Pilates practitioner, and nervous system regulation expert, I've found that there's even more to walking than meets the eye.

I see walking as one of the most effective exercises for enhancing brain and body health across all ages. No wonder the urge to walk starts even before we're born.

The foundation for healthy walking starts in the womb

The ability to walk comfortably and without pain stems from early developmental blueprints like the Automatic Gait Reflex. This early reflex, referred to as a primitive reflex, lays the foundation for automaticity with gait (i.e., walking).

Most primitive reflexes "come online" in utero and then ideally diminish into the background within the first few years of life, once they have created the scaffolding for higher-level motor patterns. The gait reflex is a great example of this. It shows up at around 12 weeks of gestation and works with the infant's nervous system for the first few months of life. If development unfolds as planned (atypical development is a topic for another time), this reflex fades into the background 1 and allows for a mature gait to develop.

But as with any of the early reflexes, it can come back to the foreground 2 following periods of illness, falls, stress, injuries, and more. These incidents challenge the natural ease of walking that so many of us take for granted.

How to enhance the benefits of your next walk

These are a few of my personal favorite exercises to make walking more second nature (because as we now know, it is!) and get even more out of your walking routine. Start with one or two and layer more on as you feel comfortable. Over time, you should start to notice that your daily walks become even more stress-reducing.

Flex your feet: Sit on the floor or a bed with your legs outstretched in front of you. Point and flex the feet in opposition in a rhythmical fashion. This reminds the nervous system of the reciprocal nature needed for walking. Ideally, you'll do this before walking but you can benefit from doing it anytime during your day.
Try the Cross-Crawl exercise: You can think of the Cross-Crawl exercise as exaggerated marching. To do it, bend your knee and cross it over the midline of your body so it touches your opposite arm. It's great to do this in place or traveling before you start your walk, as the cross-lateral motion will help engage the brain.
Do an isometric door frame sequence: Stand in a door frame and gently press your opposite hand and foot into the frame with minimal effort, 25% or less of your max strength. Think of this as a way to "warm up" the nervous system before your walk. It will also help all your body planes stay engaged as you walk.
Be mindful of your arm swing: Once you go on a walk (whether outdoors or on a treadmill), don't force a certain arm swing pattern! Instead, set yourself up for an organic arm swing by keeping your arms free. And yes, this means leaving your cell phone in your pocket... Looking down at devices shuts down your trunk extension reflex and promotes poor posture, which affects your gait pattern.
Walk in a natural setting: Weather permitting, head outside for your walk to further engage your parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system. I always prefer walking in nature to walking on a treadmill—also because being on a treadmill forces your body to keep up with certain speeds, and I think it dampens the mind-body connection.
Consider adding walking sticks or poles: The simple act of holding something in our hands helps nourish our innate trunk extension reflex, keeping us more upright. It also supports the Robinson Hand grasp reflex, which encourages a relaxed neck, shoulders, and upper trunk. You could even hold highlighters or markers in your hands if you don't own walking sticks!

The takeaway

Understanding the foundational role of early reflexes and incorporating simple movements to nourish them can take a walking program from simple to profound. Embracing this synergistic approach not only enhances walking but also fosters a deeper mind-body connection, promoting better overall health and well-being. So let's get moving!