If you travel around Italy, especially its less touristy areas and smaller villages, you may notice a surprising amount of foot traffic in the evening. It’s not just because Italians tend to stay up late, after a leisurely, multi-course dinner (although that’s also a custom).
Many Italians venture outside to take part in the traditional passeggiata, or evening stroll. (In Spain a similar practice is known as the paseo.) For this ritual, the goal is not to get from point A to point B, burn calories, or accumulate daily steps – although these can be side effects – but rather to see and to be seen as part of the fabric of the local community. .
When Chloe Yelena Miller lived in Italy with her husband and child, she told HuffPost, “We would see groups of families (with children, adults and seniors) walking around town, stopping for ice cream or a pastry, look in the store. windows and generally being together in multigenerational groups. There were usually more people when the weather was nice or on weekends. It was always especially nice under the Christmas lights.
Miller, who now resides in Washington, D.C., noted the degree of multigenerational harmony she observed among those who gathered at that hour in Florence’s Piazza Savonarola, where a kiosk sells snacks until 1:30 a.m. Morning. When the family went out around 9 p.m., Miller said, “Our child, then 4 years old and not yet speaking Italian, was just running around with other kids in the square kicking a soccer ball.”
“When we got there, he was picking up the ball with his hands. Instead of getting angry, the big guys showed him how to kick and they all ran across the square together. I remember noticing that older people were throwing it back at the kids (never getting mad if the ball hit them or anything), as were various groups of teenagers.
This type of welcoming and inclusive community is not something that only happens on special occasions, but rather the product of an enduring daily habit, proudly practiced by generations of Italians.
Although your local gelato shack probably closes before the wee hours of the morning and not every neighborhood is designed for scooping football, even Americans who go to bed early can partake in this Italian habit simply by opening their doors and tuning in. walking outside afterwards. dinner. Here are some of the benefits:
Walking after dinner helps digestion.
Although a big meal may make you want to take a nap, there are digestive benefits to getting out for a walk. In a study of college students diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome — which can cause diarrhea, constipation, or alternating episodes of both — researchers found that the more patients walked, the fewer IBS symptoms they had. This may be because exercise stimulates the movement of the stomach and intestines.
Walking has many health benefits.
We all know that exercise is good for the heart. It turns out that this remains true even at small, achievable doses. According to a special report published by Harvard Health in 2017, walking 2.5 hours per week, or just 21 minutes per day, would reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%. One study showed that six months of regular walking led to lower blood pressure in previously sedentary hypertensive adults.
And when it comes to regulating blood sugar, the best time to walk is after a meal. This study found that “low-intensity walking” after eating had a positive effect on blood sugar and insulin levels compared to remaining standing or sedentary after a meal.
Walking also has mental health benefits.
Scientists aren’t sure what the mechanism is, but exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. During exercise, your body produces brain chemicals called endorphins that make you feel good and can help stabilize your overall mood.
Many people report that they are able to think through problems more effectively while taking a walk, often saying that getting up and moving outside allows them to clear their minds.
Christophe Hopefitch via Getty Images
Being outside also has health benefits.
Even if you take a break to chat with a neighbor (or enjoy an ice cream), simply being outside and disconnected from your devices has a positive impact on your mental health. Getting outside and being exposed to “green spaces” such as parks, gardens or just your backyard has been shown to reduce stress levels as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve concentration in children with ADHD.
Building connections within community combats loneliness and isolation.
Exercise can prevent physical and mental health problems, and it turns out that socialization is protective in both directions, too.
“According to the CDC, prolonged social isolation can affect both mental and physical health, increasing our risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes, depression, and anxiety,” said psychologist Timothy Bono. professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told HuffPost. “Some researchers have likened the effects of chronic loneliness to those of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
“Psychological stress can lead to significant physical stress in our bodies,” he continued. “Dealing with the psychological stress of loneliness requires a level of physiological work that can carry over into physical health conditions. »
While tackling social isolation can seem like a daunting goal, especially when so many of us spend so much of the day online, Bono said small habits are the best way to make a change in your daily life.
Of the passeggiata, Bono said: “What is essential about a tradition like this is that it provides consistent interaction with others. This is an inexpensive, low-effort way to provide a healthy dose of social connection.
When a habit is simple and easy, you are more likely to do it frequently and therefore feel a positive impact.
This can strengthen family relationships.
Parenting experts often advise families to prioritize regular — and technology-free — meals together. Sharing a table gives family members frequent opportunities to check in and connect. Children who grow up eating family meals have better physical health and eating habits, and the mental health benefits are striking.
“Regular family dinners are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, smoking, and early teen pregnancy, as well as higher rates of resilience and self-esteem”, Anne Fishel of Family Dinner. ” the project told Harvard EdCast.
Why not extend the daily ritual with a walk after dinner, or go out later for a walk with someone who couldn’t make it to the table? Parents often find that children, and especially adolescents, are more likely to open up when they are participating in an activity and/or are not required to make eye contact. You might be surprised by what a family member (regardless of age) is willing to share while walking alongside you.
This can help make your community safer.
As Miller discovered with his family on their after-dinner walks in Florence, regular interactions with neighbors help create a sense of community. They also help make one safer.
We are all more likely to go out for a walk when we feel safe on the streets. Research shows that this relationship goes both ways: neighborhoods that are more walkable tend to have lower crime rates.
And who knows? When neighbors see you taking a walk, they may want to do the same.
