Lace up your walking shoes everyone, It is Steppin’ September and MADD Mid-Atlantic Region Victim Services wanted to explain the benefits of walking! We understand that dealing with stressors such as grief and loss from being injured in a crash, taking care of a loved one who was injured, and/or grieving a loss of a loved one. This can change and disrupt our whole world- that is completely understandable and common to feel for anyone going through their grief and loss journey. Please note that the reason for this article is NOT to diminish the reality and of your feelings when grief and loss feel heavy on certain days. There are days when you might want to rest and relax because you feel burnt out, and there are some days you might have more energy to move your body. The important thing is to care for yourself and meet the needs of where *you* are. Remember: If you are exhausted and your body needs rest, rest. If you are feeling inclined to move your body however you are comfortable, do that! Meet where you are! But for the sake of this article, I want to briefly notate the benefits of walking down below.

5 benefits of walking:

1. Improves sleep: There was a study that found that healthy individuals who walked daily had better sleep quality and slept longer.

2. Reduces stress: walking can lower the levels of cortisol which can also improve your sleep- how about that for a BOGO! 

3. Improves mood: I guess Katrina and the Waves were right about walking on sunshine, and it feels good!

4. Boost your immune system: According to researchers walking can increase the number of white blood cells, which allows our body to fight sicknesses. So maybe a walk a day does keep the doctor away!

5.Allows the creative juices in the brain to flow: It was found in a study in 2014 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, going for a walk can illicit more creativity in the brain. Subjects were given a test while seated and a test while walking; the researchers found a strong correlation between walking and creativity. So when you are facing a problem, take a break and go for a quick walk!

MADD Mid-Atlantic will always be here to support you and your family every step of the way. For additional support, we encourage you to connect with our Victim Services Team who will be more than happy to assist in any way that we can. Also, we do have our WalkLikeMADD events that not only strengthen the sense of community with our victims and survivors but also educate the public on the impact of this 100% preventable crime. Down below are clickable links for more information regarding each event. We hope to see you there!