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Taking time to live well
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Wellbeing | Moodscapes and walking routes

David Parker March 29, 2025

A good walk can cure many an ill but picking the best walk for your state of mind can have powerful effects and for those in need of calm, looking to relieve stress or anxiety or to boost creativity, a walk alongside a lake might be just the walking prescription you need.


Nowhere is as lavishly light as a lake, partly thanks to the sun glitter created when sun hits the surface of clean water. Sun glitter is made up of thousands of tiny glints, each caused by a splinter of sunbeam reflecting at exactly the right angle to send light to our eyes. As the water moves with the breeze or slight current, the glitter pattern changes, providing endless light and visual stimulation.
Morning light holds an abundance of blue, which helps shut down lingering melatonin that can make us feel drowsy and muddle-headed in the morning. Recent studies show that light also blunts the amygdala, the threat-detection centre that activates our fight or flight system. When we’re in the grip of chronic stress or anxiety, light quietens our amygdala. Bright light can also improve concentration and memory – neuroscientists think that our brain evolved to learn during daylight hours.
So, for energy and mood boosting blue-wave light, take your lakeside walk in the morning. However. sun glitter is also spectacular at the end of the day when light beams create glitter in shades of crimson, pink, amber and gold – telling our body it’s time to wind down. Moonlight on still water creates its own moon glitter, well worth seeking out for its mysterious elegance.
Research has demonstrated the importance of rhythmic movement for alleviating anxiety and depression and studies of older people have found that rhythmic walking not only improves physical health (muscle strength, balance and flexibility) but also quality of life.
We know that walking more briskly reduces our chance of cancer, heart disease, dementia and osteoporosis. When we move briskly, our brain produces the molecule known as brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that promotes the growth of new neurons. BDNF appears to help recovery from depression and stress and the brisker the movement the more BDNF we produce. Picking up the pace also helps us to sleep better and turns a walk into a bone-building bonanza.

The above extract is from The Walking Cure: Harness The Lifechanging Power Of Landscape To Heal, Energise And Inspire by Annabel Streets (Bloomsbury Tonic). You can read a longer extract in our April issue, in shops now.

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InWellbeing Tagswellbeing, walks, walking, lanes
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  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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