Terrain: sloped

We’re not talking about hiking up mountains in the ’burbs, but some kind of gradient – which could be slopes or steps within a park – will help to add a strength-building element and work the glutes and leg muscles. A study by King George’s Medical University in India suggested (perhaps not unsurprisingly) that walking uphill causes significantly more exertion than walking downhill, so I won’t be shying away from the steep path in my local wood.

I’ll also follow these nine tips to improve my walking technique, including keeping my back long, head up and core engaged to ensure the walk works my body in the right way.

Soundtrack: birdsong

Usually, I like to blast my ears with music or a podcast when exercising (this boosts enjoyment according to a study published in Frontiers In Psychology) but a more effective wellbeing boost comes from listening to birdsong.

A recent study published in Nature found that listening to birdsong helped alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy adults. A 2020 study by the University of California Polytechnic discovered that listening to just seven to 10 minutes of recorded birdsong was enough to boost wellbeing.

The bird population in my local woods always delivers, but anyone lacking access to natural sounds could pop in some earbuds and listen to birdsong on apps such as Atmosphere or Terra when on the move.

Co-activity: walking meditation

If this is the ultimate wellbeing walk then we need to focus on breathing and mindfulness too. Following this simple walking meditation exercise is a good start – it’s all about syncing your breath with your movement and being present in the moment. I find the ‘five senses’ technique helps here and will be running through five things I can see, four things I can hear, three things I can feel, two things I can smell and one thing I can taste (tree-licking not advised).

“I’ve been doing the ultimate 15-minute wellbeing walk every day for 2 weeks – here’s why it’s so effective”