When the Road Becomes a Sanctuary – A Walking Devotion

According to the American Heart Association, walking is one of the simplest ways to get active and stay active. With each step you take, you travel further down the path to a healthier lifestyle. Research has shown that walking can have a significant impact on your health by lowering your chances of heart disease and can lead to healthier living.

Walking is one of the simplest forms of physical activity, and even moderate amounts can provide meaningful health benefits. Some of the key advantages are improving heart health, helps with weight management: walking burns calories and when combined with healthy eating it can help maintain or reduce body weight, strengthens muscles and bones, boosts mental health, improves sleep, supports blood sugar control, enhances brain health, and increases energy.

The recommended amount of walking for most adults can benefit from aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, such as brisk walking. This can be broken into manageable sessions. For example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
Reliable resources

Resource:
American Heart Association, June 2024

Back when Covid-19 started, I started walking… a lot. That was when I was going through my healing journey and visiting a counselor once and sometimes twice a week. Walking and talking with God was a main source of my success. Along with journaling!!!

After Covid-19, I took a brief break from walking and started focusing on Zoom workout classes a bit more. It was a great workout for me, but I didn’t have the “quietness” and “calmness” from walking solo with God.

Fast forward to 2026 my husband and I had some medical issues come up. His were scarier than mine although mine caused 24/7 pain. I decided to start walking again. Well, as much as my body would let me. Walking, processing, talking to God, and even walking while in pain gave me a beautiful outlook on my life and daily circumstances where God remained present.

As I was walking and processing everything my husband and I were about to go through, God spoke and had me realize it was more than just moving my legs and looking at the beautiful sky. Walking can be a surprisingly powerful way to help process trauma. Not because it erases painful experiences, but because it supports both the body and the mind in healing. Trauma is often stored not just in our memories, but also in our nervous system. Walking engages both.

Besides the benefits listed above from the American Heart Association, walking helps the nervous system by helping you move to a calmer state, it helps release built-up stress by releasing hormones like cortisol while increasing endorphins which is your body’s natural mood booster. It supports emotional processing by allowing your emotions to flow more freely while walking. Repetitive movement can make it easier to reflect without feeling overwhelmed. Walking also engages both sides of the brain. By moving in the bilateral movement, it supports emotional processing. Walking also keeps you grounded and in the present. I often say to women in support group or in my seminars that it is very healthy to stay in reality. Walking helps you breathe, you look at the beautiful trees, you feel the ground you are walking on and you hear birds singing and chirping. You stay aware of your surroundings. By walking, it helps restore a sense of agency. Trauma can make you feel like you have lost control. You choose to place one foot in front of the other, you decide how fast you would like to walk, and it helps build a sense of autonomy and confidence. And lastly, it connects you with nature which God created just for us!

Walking is not a cure. However, it can be an outlet to help you heal and become connected or reconnected with Christ. To move forward with healing, we must revisit the past and that can be painful. Sometimes healing can teach us to take one step at a time and keep moving forward.

Weekly Reflection:
Take a 15-minute walk every day this week and ask yourself these questions:
What emotions are present for me right now?
What thoughts keep returning to me on my walk?
Which feelings did I avoid on my walk?
In what ways was I brave today?
Did I take time to talk to God on my walk?

And always… turn on that favorite worship music you love and walk to the beat!

Journal over the next four days.