Walking...

After welcoming you with a slightly freaky walking gif... I wanted to share some of my thoughts on walking. Yes, right foot, left foot, and repeat.

Firstly I want to acknowledge that a few years ago, I was the person who used to say something like "why bother walking when you can run?"

I was a younger version of myself who spent a lot of time doing things like running, cycling, swimming and other sporting endeavours. If I wasn't sitting down, I would generally be doing these types of things.

Then I got injured and couldn't run for an extended period of time. This was my first major injury, and it forced me to rethink a few things like the tools that I had been depending on to stay healthy both physically and mentally. One of my key wellbeing tools was taken away, and walking became an accessible activity that ticked many of the boxes that running used to.

I experienced walking.

I started to feel a little stupid for dismissing it in such a flippant way in my younger years. And I kept on doing it. Why?

Solitude - walking is a great way to just be with yourself. Sometimes you can be awkward company, but getting to know you and to be comfortable with you is a pretty important thing.

Simplicity - shoes, check. Right layers of clothes (weather dependent), check. We're good to roll.

Accessibility - whether at home, away somewhere or somewhere you have put yourself, there is walking there. Variety is good.

I was talking to a friend recently about walking while on holiday. This is one of the most special versions of walking. When you don't have time limits, or sometimes a destination. You get to see things differently and more slowly.

So the benefits?

Fresh air, biological clock (those morning sunrise walks), mindfulness, down regulation...and creativity.

And the steps are good for our health. It turns out that 10,000 steps is not the bar we need to aim for daily (it's much lower) however it is definitely the more the better so keep that 10,000 target!

Walking is now an active part of wellbeing and performance toolkit, including running.

So there you go.

Turns out that I am a walker. And I love it.