January 20 is Take a Walk Outdoors Day. This day is an opportunity to lace up your boots or running shoes, get outdoors, and reconnect with nature. It will be good for you, and the planet!
The oldest form of exercise
Walking is the world’s oldest form of exercise. For early civilizations, it was also their primary method of transportation.
Interestingly, the idea of tracking distance and steps dates back to the 15th century when Leonardo Da Vinci created one of the world’s first mechanical pedometers. (See Do you really need 10000 steps a day? to find out how many steps you really need.)
I’ve written before about my love of walking. But it’s winter. And it’s cold outside! Winter walks take extra motivation and effort. During a lazy December when it just kept snowing and snowing, I noticed a big drop in my mood and energy levels because I wasn’t getting out for my walks. I vowed to do better in January, and I’m already noticing a difference.
A simple prescription for health
The health benefits of walking are well documented, and we’re learning more and more about how spending time in nature is good for us. In fact, doctors in Canada and the United States are prescribing time outdoors. Canada’s nature prescription program, PaRx, reports people who spend at least 2 hours in nature every week report significantly better heath and wellbeing. And kids who play in green spaces focus better, master motor skills faster, and move more.
Yet, despite the well documented benefits of spending time in nature, few people carve out the time to take a walk outdoors. Research shows Canadians and Americans spend 90% of our lives indoors. And The Guardian recently reported that human connection to nature has declined 60% in the past 200 years. Interestingly that decline mirrors almost exactly the disappearance of nature words like river, moss and blossom from books.
Even worse, we spend much of our time indoors staring at screens—often doomscrolling and despairing at the state of the world. It’s no wonder anxiety and mental health concerns are on the rise.
Last month, Wynne Leon published a fascinating piece on the scarcity mindset. She shared information on a study where changing rats’ cages to a more natural environment led them to make better choices. The conclusion is that getting out of our climate-controlled houses to spend time in nature is good for humans as well as rats.
So, what are you waiting for? Will you take a walk outdoors today?
Take a walk outdoors today
Today is the perfect day to start a new walking habit. Parkprescriptions.ca recommends 20 minutes as the optimal amount of time to spend in nature to maximize its stress-busting benefits.
If you don’t have that much time, start small and work your way up to 20 minutes. In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear suggests just two minutes a day is enough to start building positive habits. It’s about making the effort and showing up.
If you can find a friend to walk with, you’ll multiply the benefits. In addition to getting some exercise, you’ll strengthen your social connections—another important contributor to health and wellbeing.
And as you walk, take the time to pay attention to your surroundings and the wonders of nature. Listen to the birds, gaze at the blue sky, make a snow angel, or catch a snowflake on your tongue. You don’t need to climb mountains to realize the benefits. Research shows the health benefits of nature start to add up when you feel like you’ve had a meaningful nature experience.
Finally, when you get back home after your walk, make a mental note of how good you feel! And then schedule time in your calendar to take a walk outdoors again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.
Happy walking!
Do you walk outdoors in winter? What are your best tips for spending time in nature? Drop me a comment below to let me know.
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Fantastic post, Michelle! I concur!☀️
Thank you, Lisa!
I should definitely be going on more walks, as you say, I always feel better after listening to bird song during a walk!
Yes, a walk definitely lifts the spirits. Unfortunately, the weather here is bitter cold today (-28C windchill) so a walk wasn’t a good idea. Tomorrow is supposed be be a bit better and then the temperature will plunge again.
Love this reminder to get outside and walk more! Definitely one of the things I want to work more on, especially in terms of walking without looking at my phone.
It’s so easy to be distracted by our phones, Layla. I try to be mindful about it, but all it takes is one ping to pull me back in.
Wow, that is cold! 🥶🥶
It’s awful and it’s supposed to get worse later in the week. I don’t think I will be achieving my January walking goal. 🙁
I love going outside. I find that if I don’t go for a walk or run, I feel tired. Also, I find that I think better and I solve my problems.
I am the same, Rachel. Unfortunately, I will be staying indoors today. A windchill of -28C is dangerous territory. I will console myself with a fitness video on YouTube. 🥶
I always walk outside, but if I can get to the botanic hardens I love to walk there. Alas, time hasn’t been on my side of late, and frankly…cold…😉
I think cold is the general theme of today’s comments. Sadly, it’s too frigid even for me to get outside today. The wind chill is dangerous.
I went to my gym class this morning. My friend road his bike to the gym . Even the instructor said that was nuts
Yeah. I love to get outside but I have my limits.
Me too
Oh it is frigid outside today. I think my walk to the bus stop is my participation a contribution to this day!🤣
Ha ha. I just had a text from a friend in Montreal who said the exact same thing. I think I will ignore my own advice and hibernate today, Ab.
Pretty sure the dog and I will be out and about, just like most days. The mental aspect and renewal is so important to me. I realize, if I miss a day, just how much I need to be outside.
Me too! Unfortunately, it is bitter cold outside today (around 1F with windchill of -18F) so I will be staying inside. I usually walk in cold temperatures but that windchill is dangerous. It’s supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow and then a polar vortex will plunge us into a deep freeze for the rest of the week and then weekend. Is it spring yet?
Yes, stay inside for sure. That wind is brutal. We’ve been in the teens a few days but typically have sun too. Then the winds come along… I had to turn around the other day as I could feel my face freezing.
We had a bit of sun yesterday but it was hard to see amid the blowing snow. Today, it’s snowing again.
Stay warm and safe 🙂
I love a walk outdoors! Unfortunately, this week it’s going to be too cold for me and my current wardrobe (20F is my limit, and we’ll be well below).
What are you doing to stay warm in these temps? Or are those stay-indoors conditions for you too?
It’s frigid here this week too. Right now, the air temperature is -17C (1F) with wind chill of -28C (-18F). That’s too cold even for me to get outside. I was out last night and when I got home, I decided today is a hibernation day. I normally bundle up and walk in cold temperatures, but when it’s windy like this I stay indoors and put on a longer exercise video.