Walking can help keep your heart healthy and strong. It’s also good for your brain.
Research has shown that walking briskly for two hours every week can help boost a person’s mood and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety.
That’s because walking, like other forms of exercise, triggers the release of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, according to University of Miami psychiatrist Dr. Dante Durand, also chief medical officer at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital in Miami.
Health experts say walking can also help people lose weight and reduce their risk — or help manage — chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
For Susan Holtzman, walking nature trails has helped her find moments of peace while making final preparations for the upcoming fifth annual Mental Health Awareness walkathon at loanDepot Park, hosted by the Miami-Dade chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Walkathon starts 8 a.m. Saturday and is the mental health nonprofit’s largest fundraiser of the year.
“I‘ve been treated for depression for many years so when I feel a bit of a mood change coming on, I know I need to get out and get moving,” said Holtzman, NAMI Miami-Dade’s president and CEO.
Experts say walking can benefit everyone. And unlike other types of exercises, you don’t need to open your wallet to get steps in. But, creating a routine can be intimidating.
Here’s how to maximize the mental health benefits:
Walking on a treadmill vs walking outside: What’s better?
Walking on a treadmill and walking outside offer the same health benefits, according to Durand, the UM psychologist who is also a NAMI Miami-Dade board member. The intensity and frequency of your walking session is what matters more, he said.
It’s all about personal preference, although there are some factors to consider.
Walking at a park, for example, will give you an opportunity to get fresh air and sunlight, which can help increase your vitamin D levels. Research has also shown that being outside in nature can help decrease anxiety, stress, and anger, according to a UC Davis Health blog post. For Holtzman, the NAMI Miami-Dade CEO, walking and being surrounded by nature has an “uplifting effect.”
But walking on a treadmill could make it easier to set and track your pace. You don’t have to worry about rain or humidity during one of South Florida’s heat waves. For people with pollen allergies, it could be a good choice for days when just walking outside makes you sneeze. You could also walk inside a South Florida mall.
How long should you walk?
The American Heart Association generally recommend adults spend at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate aerobic physical activity a week or an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity a week, or a combination of both, to be healthy. Adults should also do moderate-to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week. The recommendations are based on federal physical activity guidelines.
Durand recommends daily brisk walking sessions of about 30 to 40 minutes to make it easier to meet the weekly goal. It’s also good for both your physical and mental health, he said.
Adults who did about 75 minutes of brisk walking — about half of the weekly physical activity recommendation — had an 18% lower risk of depression compared to adults who didn’t do any physical activity, according to the American Psychological Association.
Adults who did about two hours and 30 minutes of brisk walking — the recommended weekly amount of physical activity — had a 25% lower risk of depression. “Getting more exercise than that does not seem to confer extra mood benefits,” according to the association.
How fast should you walk?
Durand recommends walking at a pace of three to nearly five miles per hour for about 30 to 40 minutes, several times a week. Fitness trackers can help you measure your walking pace. But there’s an easier way to determine if you’re walking at a light, moderate or vigorous pace.
Ask yourself: How hard is it to have a conversation while walking?
“At a light pace, it’s easy to carry on a conversation,” Barry Franklin, director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, told the American Heart Association in a blog post. At a moderate pace, “you can have a conversation, but it’s not easy because you are a little winded. Vigorous is when you’re not able to have a conversation at all.”
Should you join a walking group?
The decision to walk alone or with others is personal preference. But walking with others can add motivation, accountability and socialization to your walking routine, which could help combat feelings of loneliness and social isolation, according to Durand.
The country is in a growing mental health crisis, which former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared was largely fueled by loneliness. And there’s not enough mental health providers to provide care.
“Mental health is what we call actually like the second pandemic in the United States,” said Durand, the UM psychiatrist who is professor and vice chair of clinical services at the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
One in five U.S. adults and one in six young people 6 to 17 are affected by mental illness each year, according to NAMI. And South Florida has been hit hard, with more people seeking care for depression and anxiety, including kids and older adults, according to Durand and Holtzman. Even more challenging, parts of Miami-Dade are “healthcare deserts where even if they want help, they don’t have a lot of access to that mental health care,” Holtzman said.
Miami walkathon to raise mental health awareness
NAMI Miami-Dade is hoping to use Saturday’s upcoming walkathon during Mental Health Awareness Month to help introduce people to free mental health resources the nonprofit provides. In 2024, the Miami-Dade chapter supported more than 98,000 people.
The walk, which last year saw a record attendance of 3,500, more than any other NAMI chapter in the country, is hoping to see more than 4,000 participants this year, with a goal of fundraising $415,000, according to Holtzman. The walk has a 5k route and a shorter 1k route.
If you go
What: NAMI Miami-Dade fifth annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness.
When: Registration starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 10The opening ceremony is at 8:30 a.m., the walk starts at 9:15 a.m. and the event ends at 10:30 a.m.
Where: loanDepot Park, 501 Marlins Way in Little Havana Parking is free at Home Plate Garage.
Registration: To register online before the walk, visit NAMIWalks.org/Miami
