Color Walk is a creative exercise that is suitable for your mental health. All you have to do is focus on a specific color while walking.
Every month, many creative people gather at London’s old Spital Field market. They meet, walk and talk in colorful clothes. They call it a walk of colour. Although not the same, the colour appears to have reached a different online fitness trend. Netizens encourage people to go on a mindful walk with a focus on colour. Just choose one color when you start walking and you need to notice it before you finish the less impactful exercise. Is this mindful fitness trend really good for your mental health?
What is a Color Walk?
A color walk is a mindful activity that roams the space, focusing on a specific color. “A walk with a focus on color is a creative exercise that improves sensory sensitivity, stimulates the brain and improves mental health,” says psychologist Arzoo Wadhawan.
This type of activity can encourage you to be more in your current location and develop a sense of mindfulness and creativity. “It can be a great activator of the brain and be an enhancer of mental happiness,” says the expert.
What are the advantages of a color walk?
A color walk may have a positive effect on your health:
1. Memory retention
Looking at the colors helps improve memory performance. A 2013 study published in the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences showed that colours tend to gain better attention levels and could help improve memory.
2. It can increase your creativity
“A walk in color can stimulate creative thinking by affecting both sides of the brain that enables imagination, artistic perception, and even problem-solving,” experts say. So, if you want to inspire yourself and break down creative blocks, go for a walk and notice certain colors.
3. Reduce stress
“A walk in color can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system in the brain, which helps counter the stress response,” experts say. According to a study published in 2013 in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it is essentially a mindful walk, which can reduce stress and improve the quality of life.
4. Provides relaxation
A walk in colour involves mindful observation as you remove any clutter of thoughts. Certain colors may help you relax better. During the 2019 study, participants were exposed to green while walking, which led to a decrease in heart rate during a study published in the Frontier of Psychology. It also had a calming and relaxing effect for participants.
5. It improves your mood
“Color is essential for regulating emotions because it directly affects the limbic system that controls mood and emotions,” Wadawan says. Walking is also an exercise that helps release endorphins and serotonin, brain chemicals known to improve mood.
6. Supports physical health
Color Walk is good for your body as well as for your mind. “Walking is a low-impact exercise known to help strengthen your heart, muscles and endurance,” experts say. It can also help you control your weight because it can burn calories.
How to go to the Color Walk?
Here are a few things to enjoy the benefits of the Color Walk:
1. Select a color
Decide whether you choose a color or whether the color will guide you. If you choose a colour, keep that in mind and make sure you guide you. For example, if you choose blue, follow everything: blue, doors, clothing, flowers, etc. Alternatively, you can allow the colour to guide you organically.
2. I’ll observe from the heart
It’s not an active walk, so the focus is greater than speed. “Leaving a relaxed pace ensures complete engagement with the environment,” says the expert. Notice the details that you often miss in your normal routine, such as subtle variations between the green leaves and how sunlight changes its tint.
3. Limit digital distractions
To fully enjoy the color walk, avoid using digital devices like mobile phones whenever possible. “The constant use of mobile phones can interfere with visual recognition, reduce the release of dopamine and destroy immersion,” experts say.
4. Involve all the senses
Color is the focus, but the inclusion of other sensations is something that actually brings to experience. Think about how colors relate to textures, sounds and smells. Similarly, red flowers may smell constant, and brown, dried leaves may crunch when you walk.
5. Looking back on experience
Take a look back at your colour walk for a while. Think about how a particular color felt. Was the certain shades more calm or did you feel better? “The psychological effects of color help to control emotions and give you insight into your own preferences,” experts say.
Who should avoid a walk in colour?
While color walks offer health benefits, there are certain groups of people who need to avoid them.
- Visually impaired individuals: People with visual impairments may find it difficult to take part in a walk of colour, or blind.
- People with epilepsy: In people with epilepsy, bright, flashing, or very contrasting colors can cause seizures or migraines. “For those experiencing sensory overload due to rapid color changes, avoiding a walking of color is especially important,” Wadawan says.
- People with mental health conditions: Individuals with psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and acute bipolar disorder tend to respond emotionally while experiencing a walk of color. “It can highlight symptoms of delusions and hallucinations,” experts say.
Whether you need to get inspiration or reduce stress, you can go for a walk in colour. It’s a purposeful mindful walk. It’s about observing colors that you can easily notice around you.
Related FAQs
How does walking help your mental health?
Physical activities such as walking lead to the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevator, reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Walking also reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
Which colours make your brain happy?
Yellow is associated with happiness and positive emotions. It causes the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in pleasure and motivation. Blue, particularly light shades, relax your brain. Nature’s signature green has a calming effect and helps balance emotions.
