How does walking reduce anxiety?

Walking reduces anxiety primarily by inducing optic flow, which has a calming effect on the nervous system. When you walk, your movement generates visual images that move past you (optic flow), which helps lower the activation of the amygdala—a brain structure heavily involved in processing anxiety and fear. This process results in a significant reduction of anxiety levels. Andrew Huberman supports this by referencing peer-reviewed papers indicating that activities like walking or biking, which create optic flow, effectively reduce amygdala activity and, consequently, anxiety 1.