{"id":402837,"date":"2026-01-11T15:51:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/402837\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T15:51:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:51:12","slug":"i-tried-doing-mindful-walks-nearly-every-day-for-two-weeks-heres-what-happened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/402837\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried doing mindful walks nearly every day for two weeks\u2014here\u2019s what happened"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m someone who rushes through life. I never walk slowly\u2014always speeding to my destination\u2014and I don\u2019t have the patience to sit still and try meditation.<\/p>\n

Saying this, I would like to find a way to relax. So, I looked for alternatives to seated meditation and came across mindful walking as an option.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

According to Dora Kamau, a teacher at mindfulness and meditation app Headspace<\/a>, mindful walks can reduce stress, calm the nervous system, and boost mood.<\/p>\n

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And doing those walks in nature can further reduce stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n

\u201cNature is not limited to forests or mountains,\u201d says Kamau. \u201cIt can be a local park, a tree-lined street, or even a rooftop garden. What matters most is stepping outside and making contact with your environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

My mindful walking routine<\/p>\n

Kamau suggested that I try doing mindful walks at the same time every day, so I opted for a mid-morning stroll. She also gave me pointers on how to practice mindfulness during each walk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal isn\u2019t to clear the mind but to notice, to become present to your surroundings and your inner landscape,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of presence is the heart of mindfulness, whether you\u2019re sitting or walking.\u201d<\/p>\n

With this in mind, I set out to do a mindful walk at least five times a week, lasting for around 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

Each time, I chose a different location and walked slowly, appreciating my surroundings and trying to let go of external pressures.<\/p>\n

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My mindful walking results<\/p>\n

At first, being mindful didn\u2019t come easy for me as I struggled to forget about looming deadlines.<\/p>\n

But after a few days, I began to relax more and started to look forward to these sessions, as they marked a part of my day that was truly stress-free.<\/p>\n

Two weeks on, I might not walk mindfully every day anymore, but I have learned to add 10 or 20 minutes of mindfulness to any walk I might take.<\/p>\n

The result? I feel happier and more relaxed\u2014it\u2019s also given me a great opportunity to explore my local walking routes.<\/p>\n

Shop walking shoes<\/p>\n

If you need new walking shoes, here are three of my top picks from my guide to the best walking shoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Brooks
\nBest Overall<\/p>\n

\n

\"Columbia
\nBest on a budget<\/p>\n

\n

\"Max
\nBest for wide feet<\/p>\n

Skechers Slip-Ins: Go Walk Max Cushioning Arch Fit- Areena<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019m someone who rushes through life. I never walk slowly\u2014always speeding to my destination\u2014and I don\u2019t have the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":402838,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-402837","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=402837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/402838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=402837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=402837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=402837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}