And just like that… I’m back
Have you ever taken time off and come back surprised at how much clearer everything feels? Well that’s exactly how I feel right now. After selling Yogalife studios and the related businesses, I switched my phone off and spent most of the summer with Louise and the kids. We’ve done everything a family would be blessed to do; waterparks, cycle paths, stayed up late building fires, collected worms and bugs (all released gently back into the wild!), and yes, we ate too much ice cream. It was exactly what I needed. I also kept one foot in study mode, reading, researching, and practising quietly so I can bring better material to you in September. Thank you for the messages and support while I stepped back. I appreciated the time.
Now, it’s time to return and I’m more buzzing than ever. So, what’s happening in September?
Well first off, doesn’t September have a kind-of reset energy? For me it always outpaces January. I think the school calendars still shape a rhythm in my head, but it feels less pressured and more doable than the January “new year new me” madness. Over the closing days of August I’ll share simple strategies to set up September so you start steadily. I’ll also share the small goals I’m committing to and an honest challenge I’ll be taking on.
Before we dig into today’s article, I wanted to invite you to my first event of the Autumn calendar, a collaboration with Wild and Wild events. Join us for a five hour lakeside retreat with Wild & Wild on Sunday 22 September. April (co-founder of Wild & Wild) and I will guide gentle flow, breath-work, a nature walk, restorative practices, and a closing sound bath. Places are limited and are already half gone. If you can come, book soon.
Contact: email april@wildandwild.co.uk
The Retreat
Just a stone’s throw from Wilmslow/ Prestbury, tucked away in the peaceful village of Mottram St Andrew, this private lakeside marquee venue is usually reserved for weddings — but on this special day, it’s exclusively ours for a soul-soothing yoga retreat.
What to Expect:
A powerful blend of movement, stillness, and soul work designed to reset your nervous system and reconnect you with what matters most.
You’ll experience:
Flow Yoga & Breath-work with Stuart Pilkington + April Wild
Journaling & Intention Setting
A Grazing Platter Lunch by Crackers & Brie (GF & vegan options available)
A Mindful Nature Walk through the countryside
Restorative Yoga
Guided Meditation & Crystal Sound Healing
WILD & WILD cake & yogi tea to close the day
Community, connection, and quiet joy
And now, today’s article.
Walking Your Way To A Better Life
I have been walking a lot recently. More than I have since getting my driving license 24 years ago. I’ve never been a big walker - I run, and if I’m not running for fitness, then I drive, even when it’s just nipping down the road to the shops or the yoga studio. But now, I’m a walker. I’ve found it straightens me out - just ten minutes around the block or a stroll to the yoga studio never fails to change something in my head. On a personal level that small shift is a doorway to a better day, and the science agrees.
Why walking works
Walking recruits big muscles at a pace your nervous system loves. It improves blood flow, nudges brain chemistry toward calm, and gives your mind a wider frame to see problems. Even a single short bout can lift your mood in minutes. Here’s what I have found in the white papers (clinical studies).
The first 10 minutes is mood medicine. If all you have is ten, take it. Multiple experiments show a brief walk can reduce tension and increase positive affect the same day. You do not need to sweat. You just need to move.
Two to ten minutes after meals is a metabolic nudge. Short, easy walks right after eating can blunt the post-meal blood sugar spike. A 2023 meta-analysis found post-prandial glucose improves when people walk instead of sitting after meals. A 2025 trial reported a 10-minute walk immediately after eating lowered peak glucose more than doing nothing, and performed at least as well as a 30-minute walk done later. Small dose, big return. (reference PMCNature)
Fifteen minutes a day is real-world longevity. Consistency beats intensity. A number of studies link more daily steps with lower risk of dying from any cause and lower risk of heart disease and cancer. Benefits rise up to roughly 8–10k steps per day. Walking time is just a way to get steps. New observational work suggests even about 15 minutes of fast walking each day tracks with lower mortality, but the headline here is simple: a little, done daily, matters.
Thirty minutes and beyond: Longer bouts add volume. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine evidenced walking lowers resting blood pressure and improves cardiovascular risk profiles. Over weeks to months, regular aerobic exercise can reduce visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat, especially when total weekly volume is higher.
The final study is what I have experienced. Walking is feeds your brain. Walking helps you think. In a Stanford series of experiments, walking increased creative idea generation during and shortly after the walk. If you need a fresh angle, take it outside.
The viral video declaring those “10/15/30” rules
You might have seen online: the first 10 minutes are for mental health, 15 minutes for “physical benefits,” 30+ minutes for “fat burn.” It’s tidy, but physiology isn’t that neat.
Mood can improve within 10 minutes. True.
Physical benefits start immediately. Blood sugar improves with just 2–10 minutes post-meal. Blood pressure changes and endurance gains need repeated sessions over weeks.
“Fat burning starts at 30 minutes” is a myth. Your body is oxidising fat and carbohydrate from the start. At moderate intensity, the share of fat you burn can rise with duration, but total fat loss is about overall energy balance over days and weeks, not a magic minute-mark.
Make it work this week
If you’re starting from busy and tired:
Daily 10. Walk ten minutes after one meal. Non-negotiable. Stack it to a habit you already do.
Brain break. When your focus dips, take a 10-minute loop. Use it to reset your state before you return to work.
If you’ve got a bit more space:
15-minute push. Add one brisk 15-minute walk on most days. Think “lightly breathless, still talking.” Over time, that’s meaningful for health and longevity.
30-minute anchor. Two to three days a week, do 30 minutes continuous or split into three 10s. It’s a simple way to hit the guideline of 150 minutes per week.
Bring it back to practice
Yoga teaches us to work with the body we have today. Walking is that lesson in motion. It is accessible. It is regulating. It’s a way to move energy when your mind is loud and your schedule is full.
See you on the track or road!
Stuart