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I think we’re all in the habit of avoiding walking everywhere these days, I know I’m certainly guilty of it since I became a driver. I can honestly say that I miss the days of walking everywhere though, it’s so good for the mind, the body and the soul to incorporate a good walk into your daily, or even weekly routine. A lot of people do a weekend hike which I think is a good idea, and something that I would definitely do if I didn’t have a toddler who hates walking everywhere! Finding pushchair friendly trails can be difficult and toddlers (well, mine) tends to get bored sat inside the pushchair, but also walking and always ends up asking to be carried. It makes it hard to do any kind of walking let alone a hike! I really want to push myself to do more of it this year so I thought that I would share some of the benefits of a good walk…
Taking care of your body
It’s so natural as humans to put one foot in front of the other and to walk, so why do most of us try to do it as little as possible? It’s actually so beneficial to your body to walk more and keep moving, some of the very elderly still do a lot of walking because it keeps them in better shape and therefore helps prevent muscles and bones from seizing up. Any doctor will always tell you to keep moving if you can! It’s important that we also remember to take care of our feet too, to get them in the best shape possible for all those Spring walks. It’s not easy to walk around if you’ve got other problems going on with your feet though, and as they have to hold your body weight it’s vital that you don’t just ignore any aches or pains. https://spectrumhealthcare.com offers some great community foot care clinics if you or a loved one wants to learn about the health and importance of your feet. You might need a massage to enhance circulation for example!
Taking care of your mind
It’s proven to be such a benefit to the state of our mental health to walk more. I can personally vouch for this one as whenever I’m feeling down, anxious or just generally in a bad place, a good walk in the fresh air outdoors instantly boosts my mood. There’s been lots of studies that show those that have more active lifestyles and live near forests suffer with less stress so that says it all! It just makes you feel so calm and collected – I absolutely love getting out into a beautiful forest or the countryside and I absolutely agree that it’s good for my soul. Bring on Spring/Summer so I can get out on lots more lovely walks.
It’s good to keep active
Even if you aren’t a huge fan of working out (like me!) it can really help keep you in shape to get out on lots of walks, which is a much more natural and less strenuous way of looking after your body. You can walk at whatever pace suits you, but I always love a good mix of speed walking and then a bit more of a stroll with my camera, to take in and snap the gorgeous views. This way I get a little bit of a workout in as well as being able to enjoy it!
Dogs love walking too!
I don’t personally have a dog (I’d like one but can you imagine the extra work with a toddler…) but they’re a fab excuse to walk more. Although obviously don’t just get a dog for walking, but it’s a bonus. And don’t hire a dog walker, be your own dog walker and utilise the opportunity to get them daily walks in for yourself. Just like us, our dogs need walking too to keep them healthy and you can also get them healthy chews so that they can get little treat along the way! Click here to find out more about some of the healthy chews available for your precious doggies.
Do you get out on lots of walks?