Walk Yourself Happy by Julia Bradbury
Do you have a favourite tree?
Walk Yourself Happy is part science, part story, part gentle nudge to lace up and step outside. But more than that, it’s a kind invitation to see walking—not just as exercise, but as a mindset shift. Especially when you do it in green spaces.
At its core, the book makes a compelling case: walking in nature can rewire more than just your body. It can rewire your outlook. And while that might sound like something you’d find stitched onto a cushion, Bradbury backs it up with research, metaphors, and lived experience that make the science stick.
There’s no preaching. No pressure to perform. No 10,000-step requirement.
Just a refreshing blend of humour, heart, and health.
Bradbury has a knack for translating science without turning it into homework. The book mixes in personal stories, practical tools, and what I’d call “walkable wisdom”, ideas you can actually use on your next outing (even if it’s just around the block).
There are no rigid routines or miracle plans.
Just small, doable shifts that can lead to real, lasting change.
She talks about the body like it’s a character you might actually want to care about, not something to hack, shame, or hustle into submission. That tone matters. In a world full of performance metrics, Walk Yourself Happy brings us back to something simpler: pay attention, step outside, and start where you are.
Bradbury’s use of metaphor is where the book really comes alive. These aren't just clever turns of phrase—they’re sticky truths that reframe how we think about health.
Here are a few I’m still thinking about:
Trees? Friends with benefits. (Yes, really.)
There’s even a favourite one—though you’ll have to read the book to find out which.Bile? Best supporting actor.
Essential, underpaid, and entirely underappreciated. Doing the behind-the-scenes work of digestion like a backstage crew no one thanks.The brain? A full-blown diva.
The hungriest organ in the body. And if you don’t feed it properly (with nutrients, not just caffeine and survival snacks), it throws a tantrum: mood crashes, cravings, brain fog, the works.
These metaphors are more than entertaining, they humanise the health conversation. They help us laugh a bit, reflect a bit more, and maybe even treat ourselves with more curiosity than criticism.
One of the strongest throughlines in the book is this: walking is enough.
Not as a placeholder for “real” exercise, but as a valid, evidence-backed way to improve mood, lower stress, support brain health, and regulate sleep and appetite.
And it doesn’t need to be complicated.
A short walk counts. A loop around the park counts. So does stepping away from your laptop and walking without your phone, even just for five minutes.
Bradbury points to studies that show walking in nature activates areas of the brain linked to empathy, memory, and calm. And if you’ve ever taken a walk just to think straight again, you already know this.
It’s not about tracking. It’s about noticing.
Not about finishing faster. But arriving back to yourself.
If you’re looking for a reminder that wellness can be simple, joyful, and yes, even a little muddy, Walk Yourself Happy might be exactly what you need.
Because walking doesn’t just change your body.
It changes the way you see the world.
Try This Week
Inspired by the book? Here are a few gentle challenges to start your own walking experiment:
Take one lunchtime walk this week without a destination or device, just see where you end up.
Choose a green route if possible, even if it’s just a tree-lined street or a local park.
Notice how your brain feels afterwards: calmer? clear-headed? slightly more cooperative?
Try walking as a reset between meetings instead of scrolling or snacking.
Reflect on your body not as a problem to fix, but a companion to listen to.
