Walking On Sunshine: Walk with a Spring in Your Step

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Can the way you walk make a difference in your happiness?

You bet!

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, if you walk with or have a spring in your step, you walk energetically in a way that shows you are feeling happy and confident.

That spring in your step, especially among older people, has proven to be much more important than previously believed.

According to one study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, walking at a faster speed was associated with enjoyment of life. Florida Atlantic University research backed up this thought. Walkers, who were told to take long strides with their arms swinging and heads held high, reported feeling happier after a three-minute jaunt than a group that shuffled and looked downwards while walking.

Of course, walking faster, taller, and with a spring in your step will make you physically stronger and healthier. However, it’s nice to know that taking this simple action can benefit you mentally as well.

These results are similar to studies that show if you smile and put a positive expression on your face, it can actually make you feel happier and more optimistic about the future. That’s true even if you have to force yourself to smile.

Basically your body is telling your mind to feel happy and it works. That’s why wearing colorful clothes, using positive language, and laughing has a positive effect on your state of mind.

Since people with a spring in their step tend to be cheerful with a buoyant attitude, why not give it a try? Walk tall and a bit faster today and see if it makes you feel more confident and optimistic. Isn’t it worth a shot since positive feelings are associated with a longer, healthier life?

Take your cue from the famous song by Katrina and The Waves, Walking on Sunshine:

“I’m walking on sunshine (whoa oh)

And don’t it feel good (HEY!) Alright now

And don’t it feel good (HEY!) Alright now

All right now yeah! (HEY!)”

This post linked to the GRAND Social.