![\"Independent](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790770574_554_Independent+Membership+White.png\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.<\/p>\n
Join today<\/a><\/p>\n \n Already a member? The health and fitness world is overly complicated nowadays<\/a>. For various reasons, many of us don\u2019t feel fantastic. And it can seem like everyone, everywhere, is trying to sell us a solution: expensive supplements, pricey equipment and miracle workout plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n Joe Wicks<\/a> recently ran an experiment to counter this. He enlisted the help of experts across all areas of health and fitness to find the habits that truly deliver life-changing health perks. <\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the health problems we see are driven or amplified by how out of touch we have become from our natural habitats<\/a> and more traditional ways of living,\u201d Katherine Templar Lewis, a neuroscientist and part of Wicks\u2019s new Health or Hype<\/a> podcast with Bupa, tells me. <\/p>\n \u201cWe spend almost no time each week in nature, our days at a desk restrict moving, diets are deteriorating and the digital world reduces our time spent with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMeanwhile, some of the best-evidenced things for our health are almost boringly simple,\u201d Templar Lewis continues. \u201cSleep, movement, connection and time outdoors don’t make great headlines, and nobody can sell them to you. So even though they are clinically proven to help, they get drowned out by noise.\u201d<\/p>\n One such habit ticks more boxes than most, and it\u2019s refreshingly simple, accessible and costs nothing: go for a morning walk. And the benefits extend far beyond simply adding to your daily step count. <\/p>\n \u201cIt’s tough to beat a morning walk outside,\u201d says The Sleep Scientist<\/a> Dr Sophie Bostock. \u201cIn the sleep session [with Joe] we discussed the benefits of morning light for syncing our circadian rhythms, or body clocks. It starts the timer on your internal clocks for the day and, 16 or so hours later, you’ll automatically start to feel sleepy. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you walk at the same time each day, it helps keep all your internal body clocks aligned, which means the body works efficiently and you feel more energised during the day. Movement also helps to build your drive, or pressure, for sleep that night.\u201d<\/p>\n Neuroscientist Templar Lewis plumps for an overlapping prescription: \u201cSpend 20 minutes in green space each day, with your phone in your pocket, paying attention to what\u2019s around you.\u201d<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean you need to drive to the middle of nowhere each day and breathe in the country air. Simply find something green, whether that\u2019s a local park, your garden or a tree-lined street. <\/p>\n Read more: A sports scientist\u2019s guide to getting the same strength gains in half the time<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSome research suggests spending 20 to 30 minutes per day in nature is the sweet spot for lowering the stress hormone cortisol,\u201d Templar Lewis says. \u201cThe key ingredient is attention and presence: listen to the birds, notice the trees and let your mind wander.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of the reason this daily habit delivers so much goodness is a concept called \u201csoft fascination\u201d. The multisensory experiences available in nature, from rustling leaves to the feel of a gentle breeze, keep us engaged without overwhelming our minds, calming our nervous system and resetting our focus. <\/p>\n And finally, on this long list of benefits, a morning walk adds a bit more movement into your day, providing myriad fitness benefits from better heart health to reduced risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases. <\/p>\n
\n Log in<\/a>\n <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790770575_379_A-woman-walking-in-the-park.jpeg\")
A walk in the park: a morning outing does not have to be a time-consuming affair (manit – stock.adobe.com)<\/p>\n