Why ‘star walking’ is the outdoor activity we need right now

Star walking is turning out to be a welcome antidote for pandemic times. By visiting hills and valleys after sunset, outdoor enthusiasts not only gain all the health benefits of being in nature, they find empty trails unfolding under a limitless night sky.

Hiking at night isn’t uncommon. Plenty of people hike after dark to get to campsites or watch the sunrise from a mountaintop. Star walking goes a step further by blending hiking with stargazing.

Rather than heading to an observatory or setting up a telescope in your backyard, star walking takes you on a brief journey to look at the stars from different viewpoints.

There are plenty of studies that show the health benefits of being in nature. Spending at least two hours a week outdoors, particularly while engaging in activities that involve “effortless attention,”

1. can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels.

2. Walking at night has the added benefit of improving sleep, which is important for overall health.

3. evening strolls may counteract the disruptive effects of increased screen time on the circadian system, the body’s way of regulating the sleep cycle.