Steals & Deals: Up to 89% Off a Clip-on Cooling Fan, Breathable Tunic and More Summer Finds
Sections
Shows
More
Follow today
More Brands
If you’re an avid walker, chances are you engage in the activity for cardiovascular health, calorie burn and increased mobility. But you’re likely reaping the mental benefits as well, even if you don’t realize it. A daily walk is a great way to combat stress, boost your mood and decompress after a long day — and a walking meditation can help you get even more out of it.
Walking is a great form of physical exercise, but it’s also a great opportunity to practice mindfulness, too.
“Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, without judgment,” Laurasia Mattingly, meditation and mindfulness teacher, previously told TODAY.com.
It also entails being “aware of one’s body, mind and feelings,” Jennifer Dragonette, Psy. D., executive director at Newport Institute, added.
With more people working from home since COVID hit, I’ve been encouraging clients to break up their days by going on a transition walk after work before getting ready for their evening at home. And many saw astounding mental health improvements.
One of my clients said she felt better after her transition walk than she did after a meditation class or a massage; another turned her transition walk into a reflection time in which she mentally listed off all of the things she was grateful for that day.
I, too, have been trying to incorporate meditation on my daily walks. I try to focus on setting the tone for my day with a morning walk that’s not just about movement, but more so about creating an open, clear mind.
What is a walking meditation?
A walking meditation is when you combine movement (walking) and meditative practices. This can be a more formal, guided meditation, or you can just try to practice mindfulness and focus on what’s going on around you.
Primarily, a walking meditation is all about being more aware of your surroundings, body and thoughts, and trying take yourself out of the autopilot setting we often find ourselves in during the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life.
Yes, you can meditate as you walk. The practice is called walking meditation, and it can provide a range of benefits. The walking can boost cardiovascular health and metabolism, help with weight management, and improve mental health. The meditative piece also has mental health benefits.
For those that find it difficult to be in the present moment, or are skeptical about the benefits mediation, combining movement with your mindfulness practice can be a game changer. “Mindful walking is an easy way to incorporate meditation into everyday life and can be an easier way for beginners to learn how to practice mindfulness versus a seated meditation,” explained Dragonette.
The top benefit of walking meditation is that it can allow you to reap some of the documented benefits of meditation — such as less stress, lower anxiety levels, improved attention span and decreased risk of memory loss — in a less intimidating setting because you’re not sitting still.
“Typically when we do physical activities like walking, our mind is elsewhere. We are thinking of emails we need to send or what we need to check off on our to do lists of ruminating on something someone said or did,” Mattingly said.
“It is beneficial to do any activity mindfully because it brings body and mindfulness together. As we walk, we feel our feet touching the earth; we feel the sensation of the ground meeting the feet, each step can then become our destination. Mindfulness allows the mind to come back to the present rather than living in the future or the past.”
Exercise and meditation both work to accomplish similar outcomes, so engaging in them simultaneously is a one-two punch when it comes to boosting our mental health.
“Both regular exercise and mindfulness are proven ways to help with issues like stress, as well as support the treatment of anxiety and depression. Practicing walking meditation regularly can help one be more connected to their body and surroundings while simultaneously making them happier and healthier,” said Dragonette.
If you’re convinced that a mindful walk may be just what the doctor ordered, here is a simple check-in to do with yourself that next time you lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement.
“As you walk, feel the sensation of each part of the physical process of walking from heel to toe including choosing one foot to start with, lifting it, moving through space and feeling it touch down,” said Dragonette. “As you are walking, pay attention to some of the sensations and movements you typically don’t pay attention to, like how your feet make contact with the ground or your arms swing as you walk.”
Start with sound. “Begin to notice the sounds of life happening around you. Notice if you’re adding judgment. Rather than judging a sound as good or bad, we can mentally note ‘loud’ or ‘pleasant’ or whatever the sounds maybe. Just noticing things as they are without adding a layer of judgment,” said Mattingly.
Then move on to your other senses. “Notice and describe the world around you with all five senses: What exactly do you see, hear, smell, even taste? What textures can you feel?” said Dragonette. “The experience will be different for everyone but trying to focus on your surroundings like the weather, the breeze, birds chirping, leaves falling and the way your body moves can be great starting points.”
Do the same no-judgment check in with your physical body, said Mattingly. “Ask yourself: How does my body feel in this moment? Tired? Restless? Energized? And can we honor our bodies however they feel in the moment?”
It may be helpful to do a mental run through of each body part. “Start at the bottom of your feet and notice all the sensations. For example: Is there tingling? Is there coolness or heat? Do these sensations move? And again no judgment. We meet our feet with curiosity,” said Mattingly.
“We can work our way up the body noticing all sensations in the legs, the abdomen, hips, hands, arms, fingers, shoulders, neck, face and top of the head. … We can scan the body for any areas of tightness or tension and with each breath invite in a gentle softening.”
“Ask yourself: What mood is here? Maybe anger, maybe frustration, maybe joy, maybe all of it,” said Mattingly. “Can we allow ourselves to feel how we feel without judgment, understanding there is no right or wrong way to feel?”
Breathing is a large part of a traditional seated meditation, and that doesn’t change just because you’re moving. “The slow breathing associated with meditation is believed to help calm the nervous system and will lead to overall well-being,” said Dragonette.
Whether you are taking a relaxing, meditative walk and breathing in and out slowly, or you’re huffing and puffing through an interval walk, focusing on your breath is an easy way to bring your mind back to the present and check in with your body.
Note how slowly or quickly you are breathing and how it feels to fill your lungs with air and then empty them. If you are taking a leisurely walk, or cooling down from a workout, experiment with controlling your breath by inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, and then exhaling for four counts.
During this whole process, it is inevitable that thoughts are going to pass through your mind. It’s OK — and completely normal — for your mind to wander. “Notice when your thoughts take over, then smile and let them go when you take the next step to redirect your attention back to your walk,” Dragonette explained.
If you want to take a more mindful approach to walking, there are simple ways that you can turn a regular walk into a moving meditation. The next time you head out for a walk, hit the treadmill, or even walk indoors around the house, try focusing on one of these prompts.
Getting outdoors for a walk is especially good for our mental and physical health. Making a conscious effort to pay attention to natural elements not only keeps a common route feeling fresh, but it can deliver a dose of perspective and help ground you. Consciously observing the trees, sun, clouds, road or flowers brings you out of your own thoughts and into the possibilities of the world.
For example, when I tune in to the beautiful trees in the parks in Chicago, the lakefront of Lake Michigan, and the flowers in bloom along the high rises, I feel like a higher power and a larger universe exists beyond just me. Focusing on nature brings me back to earth, literally, and helps put anything I’m stressed about into perspective.
Sometimes I even stop to smell newly planted flowers or touch a tree trunk or look down at the pebbles or cracked sidewalk underneath my shoes. Connecting to nature almost makes me feel like I’m on a vacation; I’m in a different mental state of mind, and when I come back from my walk, I feel refreshed and like I have new ideas and ways of thinking.
Research shows that regularly practicing gratitude can improve your mood, combat stress and help you sleep better — and it is good for your physical health, too.
My client who turned her transition walk into a gratitude walk said this daily practice helps her be calmer with her kids and led to a happier relationship with her husband. She got out of the house and reflected as an outsider looking into her home with these prompts:
She gave herself however much time as she needed to complete the mental list. She enjoyed the walk and movement, but also had her mind focused on the positivity and gratitude that it fostered. The longer she spent in this state of mind, the easier it was to come home and actually see these qualities in her family and her job.
If this resonates with you, try using your walking time to mentally practice gratitude and list off the things that you’re grateful for that day. You may be surprised how much it shifts your mindset.
Are you preparing for a big presentation at work or initiating an important conversation with a friend or family member? A positive pump-up walk serves as a confidence boost. Follow these steps:
During my pump-up walks, I play my favorite music and try to channel my inner confidence and tell myself that what I have to say matters. I finish feeling totally pumped up and confident in myself.
Stephanie Mansour is our TODAY Fitness contributor, a certified personal trainer and a yoga and Pilates instructor. She also leads workout routines and challenges in our new Start TODAY app. The app brings together the best in wellness, providing on-demand fitness videos, weekly and monthly fitness challenges, custom healthy meal plans geared toward your goals and daily inspiration to keep you moving. Download the app.
© 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLCApple®, Apple logo® and App Store® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.