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If you are an avid walker, then you are likely to engage in activities that are beneficial to cardiovascular health, calorie burning, and increased mobility. However, even if you don't realize it, you may gain spiritual benefits. After a long day, a daily walk is a great way to combat stress, improve mood and reduce stress.

During the pandemic, everyone works from home, and I encourage my private clients to end their day by taking a transitional walk after get off work, and then prepare for their evening at home. Mentally, the benefits are amazing! One of my clients said that she felt better after the transitional walk than after a meditation class or massage; another turned her transitional walk into a reflection time, and she listed in her heart all the things she was grateful for that day.

I also turned daily walking into walking meditation, and focused on setting the tone for my day through morning walks. This is not just about exercise, but about creating an open and clear mind.

If you want to take a more cautious approach to walking, there are some simple ways to turn regular walking into a moving meditation and gain spiritual and emotional benefits. Next time you go for a walk, run on a treadmill, or even walk around the house, try to focus on these tips.

Walking outdoors is especially beneficial to our physical and mental health. Consciously paying attention to natural elements can not only make common routes feel fresh, but also provide a certain perspective and help you get rooted. The possibility of consciously observing trees, sunlight, clouds, sidewalks or dirt roads or flowers will bring you out of your own thoughts and into the world.

For example, when I listen to the beautiful trees in Chicago parks, the shores of Lake Michigan, and the blooming flowers on tall buildings, I feel that a higher power and a larger universe exist outside of me. Literally, paying attention to nature brought me back to Earth and helped to see everything I emphasized more clearly. Sometimes I even stop to smell the newly planted flowers, or touch the trunk, or look down at the cobblestones or cracked sidewalks under my shoes. The connection with nature almost makes me feel that I am on vacation; I am in a different mental state, and when I come back from a walk, I feel refreshed, as if I have new ideas and ways of thinking.

Studies have shown that regular gratitude exercises can improve your mood, combat stress and help you sleep better-which is also good for your physical health.

My client turned her transitional walk into a gratitude walk. She said that this daily practice helped her to be more calm with her children and build a happier relationship with her husband. She walks out of the house and reflects as an outsider, and uses the following tips to view her home:

She gave herself as little or as much time as possible to complete the mental checklist. This is a walking meditation, so she likes walking and exercise, but also focuses her attention on the positivity and gratitude it cultivates. The longer she spends in this mentality, the easier it will be to truly see these qualities in her family and work when she goes home.

If this resonates with you, try to use your walking time to practice gratitude mentally and list the things you would be grateful for that day. You may be surprised that it changes the way you think.

Are you preparing for a big speech at work, or are you having an important conversation with friends or family? Actively boosting walking can increase confidence. In these order:

If I have an important speech or conversation coming, I will play my favorite Lizzo song ("Good as Hell"), and then guide her confidence in the next walk. She stepped onto the stage in front of thousands of people, presenting herself without apology. So I want to guide her and feel that people will accept what I want to say. I said to myself: "What I want to say is very important! How do I show this land to my audience!" I felt completely cheered up and confident in myself after returning from a walk.

Stephanie Mansour (Stephanie Mansour) is the health and fitness writer of Today. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor, and female weight loss instructor. She hosted Step It Up with Steph on PBS. Join her for free health and weight loss challenges, and follow her on Instagram for daily inspiration.