Evidence for anxiety , psychological stress , psychological well-being , subjective well-being and social isolation and loneliness varied in volume and effectiveness , but no harmful effects were identified .
The setting and context of walking seems to be important variables .
Background / objectives Walking has well-established positive relationships with , and effects on , physical health .
In contrast , while poor mental health contributes substantially to global health burden , an overview of the benefits from walking has not previously been published .
We aim ed to scope the literature and present what is known , and highlight what is not known , about walking and mental health .
Walking in (Affective) Circles: Can Short Walks Enhance Affect?
Recent physical activity recommendations call for activities that are of moderate intensity and can be performed intermittently during the day , such as walking . These proclamations were based partly on the assumption that moderate activities are generally more enjoyable than physically dem and ing ones , and they are , therefore , also more likely to be continued over the long haul . However , little is actually known about the affective outcomes of short bouts of walking and extant findings are equivocal . Four experimental studies examined the affective responses associated with short ( 10- to 15-min ) bouts of walking using a dimensional conceptual model of affect , namely , the circumplex . Results consistently showed that walking was associated with shifts toward increased activation and more positive affective valence . Recovery from walking for 10–15 min was associated with a return toward calmness and relaxation . This pattern was robust across different self-report measures of the circumplex affective dimensions , across ecological setting s ( field and laboratory ) , across time , and across sample
Evidence for anxiety , psychological stress , psychological well-being , subjective well-being and social isolation and loneliness varied in volume and effectiveness , but no harmful effects were identified .
The setting and context of walking seems to be important variables .
Background / objectives Walking has well-established positive relationships with , and effects on , physical health .
In contrast , while poor mental health contributes substantially to global health burden , an overview of the benefits from walking has not previously been published .
We aim ed to scope the literature and present what is known , and highlight what is not known , about walking and mental health .