Walking for Mental Health: A Simple, Fun Way to Support Employee Wellness

7-minute read

Inspiring your workforce to adopt a daily walking habit is the easiest, most cost-effective, and enjoyable way to enhance overall employee well-being. In addition to the wide range of physical health benefits, walking for exercise elevates mental/emotional health, too – playing a role in preventing or alleviating conditions like depression, anxiety, and high stress.

The human burden of depression, anxiety, and excessive stress is substantial – impairing function, diminishing quality of life, and reducing work capacity. Rates for these conditions and all mental disorders are staggering:

• 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental illness this year – and in any given year¹
• 50% of people worldwide will have at least 1 mental health disorder in the course of their lives; mood disorders (depression, anxiety) are the most common mental illnesses²
• 44% of US adults experience anxiety symptoms³
• 29% of US adults will develop depression.⁴

Mental disorders negatively impact employee health and employer performance. The associated losses from absenteeism, presenteeism, burnout, and healthcare expenses are likely costing your organization a lot of money. 

Workplace Wellness: Promote Employee Mental Health Through Walking

Ensuring employees have access to mental healthcare is vital. But so is investing time and resources into reducing demand for these services. A healthy lifestyle supports both mental and physical well-being; that’s where walking comes in.

Walking is simple. With just comfortable shoes and clothing, most people can get up and move — in neighborhoods or parks, city blocks, or on a playground; any safe place will do. This is part of walking’s appeal as a mental well-being initiative: It’s simple… no special skills needed. Individuals can make modifications to match their physical ability, goals, and preferences:

• Easy breezy. Brisk walking offers the most benefits, but a light stroll is worthwhile, too. Some folks balk at the idea of sweating during work; they could keep the pace slower and save more intense walking for before/after worktime.
• Short and sweet. Fitness beginners can start with short periods at an easy pace and build from there — being active, even in small doses, makes a positive difference. A 10-minute walk, done 2-3 times in a day, offers many of the same benefits as a single 20-30 minute walk.
• Heat’s on. More-fit participants can elevate intensity by walking uphill, climbing stairwell or stadium steps, or doing faster-paced intervals. Extending time or distance can also increase the workload. 
• Action-equipped. People with mobility challenges may be able to walk with assistive devices (like a cane or walker) or in a lap pool.

Taking even a short walk boosts creativity as well as mood. This basic activity is also a pathway to more social connection and enjoyment of nature; both come with additional mental/emotional well-being benefits. Encourage walking groups while highlighting other well-being habits that promote mental health: increasing vegetable and fruit servings, getting 7-9 hours of sleep, and reducing non-work screen time, for example.

Inspire Stretch Goals for Employee Mental Health

Experiencing the mental/emotional and physical benefits of regular walking requires reaching beyond what employees are already doing:

• Offer an annual walking-focused wellness challenge wrapped in a fun theme – like Walktober, Star Trak, 10K-A-Day, or Summertime. Wellness challenges are a key component of effective wellness initiatives, encouraging employee participation, fostering employee engagement, and supporting a culture of health.
• A program with team/individual options and multiple levels that participants self-select — like 6000, 8000, or 10,000 steps/day — gives everyone the chance to push themselves and feel the payoffs.
• Promote or sponsor 5K/10K/12K walking events. Registering and training with coworkers help strengthen motivation as well as social connection while working toward a shared goal.
• Spotlight regional walking/hiking trails. Day hikes are a fun way to be active while enjoying time outdoors with friends and family.

Providing growth opportunities through these wellness challenges and events can help improve job satisfaction and support overall wellness for employees.

Winning Workplace Walking Groups 

Launching and supporting workplace walking groups couldn’t be easier. 

Walking groups can be:

• Spontaneous. Using internal messaging channels helps make “hey, anyone want to walk at 10:30?” meetups an accepted norm. 
• Organized. Wellness leaders can get things started with scheduled 15/30-minute breaktime walking groups and making routes/maps available. Once established, these groups can run themselves.
• Grassroots. Employees naturally form in-person or virtual walking groups on their own. You can encourage this by sharing tips and testimonials. 
• All of the above. A combination of walking group choices is helpful to suit different preferences and needs, so anyone interested in walking will have options. 

Getting to know colleagues in other departments by walking together helps employees feel more connected — enhancing well-being plus communication and retention. Walking groups also contribute to a supportive environment and promote social well-being by fostering team-building and a positive workplace culture. The fun, enjoyment, and feel-good benefits they experience help the mental/emotional health payoffs of walking and social connection spread throughout your organization. Participating in walking groups can help employees achieve better work life balance and quality of life by reducing stress and supporting overall well-being.

A Workplace Culture of Walking Helps Employees Thrive

Investing in an organization-wide effort and fostering a workplace culture of walking can spark employees to maintain this resilience-building habit. In a world of uncertainty, a walking routine is something they can plan on… a daily uplifting gift to feel their best, to thrive in mind and body, on and off the job.