Walk This Way
Forget fancy gadgets and fitness trends, when it comes to wellbeing, the humble walk is hard to beat. Seven aficionados reveal what walking means to them
From a hardcore trek to a leisurely amble, walking is the activity that never stops giving.
It gets us from A to B, lets us explore new places and takes us outdoors, filling our lungs with fresh air, topping up vitamin D reserves and connecting us with nature. It’s great exercise too; research suggests regular walks can help reduce the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Best of all, where you walk – and how far and fast – is entirely up to you.
Seven happy-steppers share their stories…
:: ‘I’VE MADE FRIENDS’
“Walking has been the best way to meet people in a new area, while taking in the beautiful places and enjoying the fresh air,” says Angela Munn, who joined a local Young Ramblers group (www.ramblers.org.uk) after moving to a new area four years ago. The charity runs groups all over Britain and Munn found it a great way to combat loneliness. “Walking gives you the chance to talk at a deep level with people, and during my first year, I got to know four other girls really well. We not only walked together, we started to meet up outside our rambling calendar for drinks, wine tasting, meals and day trips. Thanks to walking, I’ve made a group of close friends who support me in life’s ups and downs and encourage me to do things I would never have done otherwise.”
:: ‘IT HELPED ME RECOVER AFTER A STROKE’
Nordic Walking uses poles to enhance the all-over fitness benefits of walking; Alice Denham, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2011, joined her local group (nordicwalking.co.uk). “Brain injuries can leave you walking through the world, rather than in the world,” says Denham. “Nordic Walking helped me get back to the world again after my brain haemorrhage and stroke. It became an integral part of recovery, helping to generate the much-needed new pathways by improving the flow of oxygen to the brain in a gentle way. I left hospital with acute expressive aphasia [loss of language/speech]; from what felt like dirt tracks in my brain came B roads, then A roads and finally motorways. Being outside and walking is such a boost, on many levels both physically and emotionally.”
:: ‘IT’S VALUABLE MOTHER-DAUGHTER TIME’
“I’ve always found walking to be perfect for uninterrupted thinking time. Being in a different environment can be great for problem-solving, so I use my morning walk to work to think about, and gear up for, the day ahead,” says Dr Paula Franklin, Bupa’s UK medical director (www.bupa.co.uk). “On my walk home, I reflect on how the day has gone and find it helpful to relieve any stress I might have. More recently, walking has become a wonderful thing to do with my eldest daughter. She’s now at university and whenever she comes home, we always go for a long walk together, rain or shine. It’s our valuable mother-daughter time, when we can really chat properly without any distractions.”
:: ‘I LOVE FEELING PART OF THE OUTDOORS’
“Growing up in Northern Ireland means you’re never far from a good country walk. I’ve loved the outdoors for as long as I can remember, although I didn’t start my career in endurance and adventure until I was around 30,” says Noel Hanna, adventurer and sports science advisor to preventative nutrition experts Pharma Nord (www.pharmanord.co.uk), who recently returned from his seventh summiting of Everest. “Everything I do is geared around experiencing nature and the challenges it can bring. But whether it’s Everest or my regular rambles through the hills around Dromara, it’s the beauty of the outdoors and feeling part of it that counts. My advice is to prepare your body for a lifetime of walking with good nutrition, and never take a single step for granted.”
:: ‘WALKING HAS BECOME MY DAILY THERAPY’
“I’ve always loved to walk, whether in the urban jungle or the green fields, I find it the most therapeutic and grounding exercise for body and mind,” says nutritional therapist Henrietta Norton (www.wildnutrition.com). “With the arrival of our third child, walking has become a twice-daily therapy and when the sun is out, it’s an excellent way to top up my vitamin D stores, breathe deeply and nourish the adrenal glands from a day of juggling work and family.”
:: ‘I FOUND THE REAL ME AGAIN AFTER CANCER’
Sandra Sayce was very weak following cancer treatment, when she spotted a leaflet in her local library for a Walking for Health walk, organised by Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support (www.walkingforhealth.org.uk). Although unable to walk 50m at the time, she plucked up the courage to join in. “I’d reached the point where I needed to get to grips with living with cancer, rather than suffering from it. I’d become very isolated, and needed to get out and become more active but didn’t really know where to start,” she says. “After a matter of months, I had become a regular and made so many friends. It wasn’t long before I did my walk leader training, so I could help other people enjoy the walks too. Sayce, with renewed confidence, then volunteered as a Games Maker at London 2012 and has been selected as a clyde-sider at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. “I feel like I’ve found the real me again. I’m healthier, fitter, happier, more confident and finally on the way to losing the last stubborn stone in weight.”
:: ‘IT’S GREAT FOR BODY AND MIND’
“For me, walking by the sea is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Walking is such a great form of exercise; it helps move the four limbs which in turn stimulates digestive function,” says Emma Cannon, author and founder of The Fertility Rooms (www.emmacannon.co.uk). “The day I gave birth to my firstborn, I went on a five mile walk – that night I gave birth in six hours with relative ease; I’ve always put it down to the walk and raspberry leaf tea. From an acupuncture point of view, it moves the Qi [energy] around the body without exhausting it, which is said to prevent illness. Walking also sorts the mind out; if ever I have a problem, a good walk in the fresh air really puts me back on track.”
Are you a keen walker .. what benefits has walking given you?
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