Walk It Off

Sometimes psychotherapy can get a little too “heady.” What I mean is that we can become overly focused on our thoughts, analyzing, interpreting, labeling, while overlooking the role our body plays in emotional regulation. In reality, movement can offer a powerful respite from unwelcome thoughts, memories, and emotions. It helps ground and anchor us in the present.

When we’re inactive, our mind tends to take over and dominate our attention. You may have heard the saying: where the mind goes, the body doesn’t follow. Movement, then, isn’t just a distraction from our thoughts, it’s a tool that helps us refocus attention and tune into our senses. This practice builds somatic awareness, a foundational skill for meaningful behavior change.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because this is a form of mindfulness. When I introduce mindfulness to clients, I usually start by explaining what it is, and perhaps more importantly, what it is not. There's a common misconception that mindfulness is just a relaxation exercise. It’s not. As Jon Kabat-Zinn defines it, mindfulness is “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.”

Through mindful movement, we begin to shift our attention away from distressing thoughts about the past or future. Instead, we notice that these thoughts are occurring without getting pulled into them. This perspective shift, often called decentering, helps reduce emotional reactivity and overidentification with our inner experience.

A simple, accessible way to build this skill is through mindful walking. In everyday life, many of us operate on "autopilot," or “sleepwalking,” pulled along by the momentum of our thoughts and habits. Mindful walking interrupts this cycle. It increases awareness, opens new avenues for self-understanding, and can even unlock insight or creativity by engaging the wisdom of the body.

Now, one common reaction to mindful walking is: “That sounds boring.” But here's the thing, there’s nothing wrong with boredom. In fact, boredom can open the door to deeper experience. It allows you to find richness in the ordinary, and to tune into your body with gentle curiosity. Whatever you feel, just go with it.

And the benefits aren’t just psychological. Biologically, mindful walking, especially outdoors, has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower sympathetic nervous system arousal, stabilize blood glucose levels, and decrease markers of inflammation. This may be due, in part, to the beneficial chemicals that plants emit, which we absorb when we’re in natural environments.

There are several theories as to why movement supports emotional health:

• Thermogenic theory: Physical movement increases body temperature, which may promote a sense of calm.

• Neurotransmitter theory: Movement helps regulate mood-related chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

• Neuropsychological theory: Movement increases brain volume and boosts endorphin release.

Psychologically, mindful walking brings us back into contact with the present moment through the senses. It enhances our awareness of breath, internal sensations, and proprioception (the sense of where your body is in space). A slow, steady walk tends to encourage relaxed breathing and downregulate the autonomic nervous system.

The mind is often described as “unruly but governable.” Mindful movement, alongside the tools you may learn in therapy, offers a way to exercise more intentionality over your attention, your choices, and ultimately, your life.

How to Practice Mindful Walking:

1. Begin by standing still. Notice the subtle micro-movements your body makes just to keep you upright. Feel the ground beneath you. Take a few slow, conscious breaths and notice where you feel them in your body.

2. Start walking slowly. Shift your attention to the physical sensations of stepping. Feel your foot meet the ground, heel to toe, and notice how your weight shifts from one leg to the other. Pay attention to how the contact of your foot to the ground activates all the nerves in your foot.

3. Engage your senses. If you're outside, observe your surroundings. What do you see? Smell? Hear? Let your senses be your anchor.

4. Use your breath as a guide. If your mind wanders (and it will), gently return your attention to your breath and the sensation of walking.

5. Notice obstacles. If you encounter a bump or change in terrain, observe how your body automatically adjusts. There’s a quiet wisdom in that.

6. Close with gratitude. As your walk ends, take a moment to appreciate what your body has done, keeping you upright, breathing, moving. Acknowledge the experience, however it unfolded, without judgment.

Finally, ask yourself: How do I feel now—in my body, in my breath, in my mind?

Primary Source and Further Reading: "Mindful Movement in Psychotherapy” Paul Salmon