I love walking and have done so much of it in my life. There were family holidays in the countryside, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and school scrambling trips, leading groups in the mountains at university and much more besides.
There’s nothing like the good dose of fresh air you get from being outside. And the act of walking itself is good for you.
According to Hippocrates, a Greek physician 2400 years ago, “walking is a man’s best medicine.” And Country Walking Magazine cites it as “the wonder drug”. You can even get walks or the outdoors on prescription in some areas of the UK.
Lowering your blood pressure, strengthening your bones, aiding weight loss and boosting your mental health are just a few things walking can do for you. And there’s no doubt about it, walking has helped keep my mental health in check over the years and still does.
So why not give it a go?
Some ideas:
1. Choose a slow and deliberate walk, being mindful of your surroundings
Use your senses to immerse yourself in the experience perhaps touching the bark of a tree as you pass and comparing it to another, smelling the flowers in a garden or the fragrance of freshly baked bread drifting out of someone’s window. Listen to the birds all around or watch clouds blow across the sky constantly changing shape.
2. Take your camera with you and really notice what’s around
I find I see so much more when I’m purposefully looking. Beetles scurrying between blades of grass, raindrops balanced delicately on the ends of leaves, the pattern of frost on your car windscreen early in the morning as sunlight plays off the glass.
3. ‘Collect’ random things as you walk
Pointless gates and stiles are one of my favourites!
Walking and talking with God is another of my favourites (as you can see here), alone or with others. But you could keep it even simpler and just walk to the shops/ coffee shop/ work instead of driving.
And of course, if you want to why not arrange a full-on day charging up and down mountains seeing how many new peaks you can do.
It’s up to you. Just choose something you’ll enjoy.
I’d love to hear how you’ve chosen to get out walking, where you’ve been etc. Do comment below.