It seems one of the simplest ways to keep active – but there are many physical and psychological benefits to walking.
Whether you enjoy a stroll on your own (perhaps with a dog), or prefer to join friends, colleagues or family, getting outdoors and breathing in the fresh air – no matter how far you walk – can boost your wellbeing hugely.
Below, we’ve gathered a few resources to help get you started, and ideas of ways you can combine walking with socialising:
Try our guided mindful walk
Listen to our Shout! Podcast Plus, where we lead you on a guided walk through the wilderness (or wherever you may be). Take a set of headphones and head out for a walk from your front door with this 10 minute mindfulness exercise.
Join a local walking group
If you’re looking to combine your love of walking with meeting new people, there are walking groups right across the UK set up to help you connect not only with nature, but others around you.
A group of firefighters in London set up their own Walk and Talk group to encourage anyone joining to discuss any concerns or struggles they’re going through. Since then, more have been set up across the country, all of which are specifically aimed at bringing members of the fire service together to boost their mental wellbeing.
Join our residential programmes
Would you like to use our stunning Harcombe House grounds for self-led walks? You can join one of our five-day programmes which are fully catered and provide the opportunity to enjoy two days of pre-planned, self-led walking with some gentle exercise and socialising, plus time to rest and recharge.
Participants should be comfortable walking 10km and happy to car-share for walks, as well as sharing same-sex bungalows.
Mental Health and Exercise wellbeing workshop
When it comes to physical activity, everybody is different, and it’s important we choose the most effective forms of exercise that work for us as individuals.
In this 60-minute online workshop, you’ll learn:
- How to enhance your understanding of the links between physical activity and positive mental health.
- How to address and support potential barriers to being physically active.
- Helpful ways you can create a feasible plan to incorporate a variety of different types of physical activity into everyday life.
We also have a webinar recording available around the benefits of nature to your mental health, which you can find here.
You could also combine walking with a fun sports with Walking Football – find out more here.