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Walking for your mental health: why a walk can lift your mood

October is Mental Health Month in Australia, and on the weekend of 17 and 18 October, a lot of Aussies laced up for it. On Sunday 18 October, walkers set off from under the Story Bridge in Brisbane for the Walk for Awareness. In Canberra, Club Lime members ran and walked around Lake Burley Griffin at sunrise as part of a challenge to log one billion steps for Beyond Blue. And all month, people right around the country have been logging kilometres for One Foot Forward.

Online, a simple line from a doctor caught on in mid-October: you are one walk away from a happier day. It's a nice thought, and there's good reason behind it.

Here is why a walk can help how you feel, how to make walking a habit you enjoy, and how the Thrive Health Band shows the link between your own steps, sleep and mood.

Why walking can help how you feel

Healthdirect, the Australian Government's health information service, says regular exercise can help reduce stress, help you sleep better, improve your concentration, give you more energy and boost your self-esteem. It can also help lift your mood and ease feelings of loneliness. You don't need a gym, special gear or a training plan to get those benefits. Walking counts.

A few reasons walking works so well for mood:

  • It's gentle on your body and your mind. There's no pressure to perform. You can go at your own pace, and you can still have a chat while you walk.
  • It gets you outside. Daylight, fresh air, trees and water all add to the feeling of a reset. Morning light also helps set your body clock, which can help you feel sleepy at the right time that night. Our article on a morning sunlight walk explains why.
  • It's a break from screens. A walk is one of the easiest ways to step away from emails, news and scrolling for a while.
  • It can be social. Walking with a friend, a partner, a neighbour or the dog adds connection, and connection matters for mental health too.
  • It can help you sleep. Being active during the day helps build healthy tiredness by bedtime.

There's a gap between knowing and doing, though. Research released by Viva Leisure for Mental Health Month found that 77% of Australians say exercise makes them happier, but only 13% turned to it the last time they felt low. That's very human. When you feel flat, the couch is easier. Which is why it helps to make walking small, simple and part of your routine.

How much walking helps?

Healthdirect suggests building up, at your own pace, to 30 minutes or more of moderate activity, such as walking, on most days. But you don't have to start there. Start slowly and set small goals, and if you're short on time, three 10 minute walks across the day still add up.

For mood, how often you walk may matter as much as how far. A short walk most days is easier to keep up than one long walk you dread. If you'd like a feel for steps, see how many steps a day you really need.

Making walking a habit you enjoy

  • Tie it to something you already do. A walk after breakfast, at lunch, or straight after work.
  • Pick a route you like. A park, the beach, a river path or a loop past your favourite coffee shop.
  • Bring someone along. Plans with a friend are harder to skip.
  • Leave the phone in your pocket. Notice what's around you: birds, the weather, the light.
  • Keep it kind. A slow walk still counts. On a hard day, around the block is enough.
  • Join something. Local walking groups run all year, and many hold Mental Health Month walks each October.

How Thrive shows what walking does for you

The Band has no screen, so there's nothing on your wrist to check while you walk. Wear it day and night, and the Thrive by Optihealth app brings your movement, sleep and mood together, so you can see your own pattern rather than a general rule.

  • Steps and walks. Thrive counts your steps through the day, and you can record a walk with your route, pace and distance.
  • Check-ins. Log your mood, stress and energy, and tag your day with options such as Walking. You can add your own factor too, such as "walk with a friend".
  • Today's Vitality. Sleep & Recovery, Heart & Nervous System, Today's Load and Mind & Mood come together in one daily view. Steps and your mood check-ins both feed into Mind & Mood, with a week trend.
  • Patterns. The Mind & Mood category brings mood, stress, energy, sleep and HRV together over time, so you can see whether active weeks line up with brighter ones.
  • Experiments. Try a two-week experiment, such as a 20 minute walk each morning, and compare how your mood, energy and sleep respond.
  • Ask Thrive. Try "Is my mood better on days I walk?" or "How did I sleep after days with more steps?"

If you'd like someone in your corner, Thrive Loops lets you share selected information with a participating trainer, health professional or someone you trust. You decide what to share and with whom, and you can change or revoke access at any time.

Thrive also learns what is usual for you across nine areas of your health, from what the Band measures and what you log, and keeps track right across your health, including heart, temperature, stress and mood, meals and Food Fit, blood tests, medications and supplements and your medical history.

When to talk to your GP

Walking can be a lovely part of looking after your mental health, but it isn't a fix for everything. If low mood, worry or loss of interest has hung around for more than a couple of weeks, or it's getting in the way of work, sleep or time with people you love, talk with your GP. Thrive isn't a diagnosis, but Ask Thrive can help you get ready by lining up a few weeks of your mood check-ins, sleep and activity, so you can describe what's been happening. Here is how to use Ask Thrive before a GP appointment. If you'd like to talk to someone now, call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline on 13 11 14 any time.

Before you buy

You'll need a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Thrive app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play, in Australia and eight other countries. The app stores are only for downloading the app, though; they aren't where you buy the Band or a Plan. You can buy at thrivehealthband.com, or at a participating World Gym Australia location or health and wellness clinic.

The Thrive Health Band is A$660 for the first year under the launch offer. That includes the Band, which is yours to keep, and 12 months of the Thrive by Optihealth app, My Health on the web, Health Fingerprint, Ask Thrive, Thrive Loops and your data, paid once upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Free Australia-wide shipping during the launch offer (usually A$14.99).

Nothing renews automatically. After your first year, you can get a new band plus 12 more months for A$660, or keep your band and renew the Thrive Connected Plan for A$240 a year, or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

You're also covered by a 12-month Thrive Care Warranty, and consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

Is walking good for your mental health?

Healthdirect says regular exercise, such as walking, can help reduce stress, help you sleep better and boost your self-esteem. A short walk most days is a good place to start.

How long should I walk for to feel better?

Start with what feels doable. Healthdirect suggests building up to 30 minutes or more of moderate activity, such as walking, on most days, and three 10 minute walks count.

Can Thrive show whether walking helps my mood?

Yes. Thrive brings your steps, walks, sleep and mood check-ins together, and Patterns, Experiments and Ask Thrive help you see your own link over time.

For more answers, see Questions.

Sources

Thrive is intended to support general health, fitness and wellbeing. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. If you're concerned about your health, talk to a qualified health professional.