Why Walking?
For nearly 15 years our adventures have been based around walking or hiking. We’ve never really sat down to discuss it or even think about it too hard, but today I’m going to go into some of the reasons why we choose to walk or hike and the benefits we have gotten from this cheap and easy hobby!
1. It makes for a cheap holiday!
The real beginnings of our love for hiking adventures started, as I said, about 15 years ago when we were saving to buy a house. We decided we needed to cut back on some things to help save money, and holidays were one of them. Not that either of us were ever massive fans of what some might call the “finer things in life”, but by choosing to go out hiking on our holidays we saw that we could save some money easily! We basically go out for an entire day’s entertainment and spend only what it costs in fuel and the food we carry in our packs. Also, you don’t need to go very far to find some beautiful and exciting places to explore.
2. Your physical health will benefit!
Whether we get out for a couple-mile walk with our pup Bree or go on a slightly more epic journey up the mountains of Snowdonia, walking is fantastic exercise. It helps keep you mobile – Alan has arthritis and has seen some bad times with it but walking each day (along with some dietary changes) has helped to greatly reduce his pain and stiffness overall. It’s easy! If you can walk, you can go on a walk. Start small and build up. It is exercise and therefore can help contribute to your overall health.
3. Your mental health will benefit too!
We both talk a lot about how getting outside and walking together helps to clear our heads. We put our phones on silent when we go out, and it is really such a relief to not think about life or the distractions of any forms of media for a few hours, or the whole day! You really get to live in the moment and cherish the natural world around you. It gives us time to think and talk about things that exist outside of work and paying bills. Sometimes we have deep conversations, sometimes we say nothing at all, mostly we appreciate the views and talk a lot of nonsense – and this is what makes going out for a hike feel like one long, beautiful meditation. We always return home feeling happier and calmer than when we left.
4. See things you just can’t see any other way!
It’s simple! There are things in this world that you just can’t see without hiking. Hiking is a great way to explore and appreciate the natural beauty of our planet. It allows you to get up close and personal with nature, and experience it in a way that you just cannot from a car window! Some views, landscapes and natural features, such as waterfalls, can only be seen through hiking. It also allows us to see, hear, and feel the details of the landscape: smelling the damp autumn leaves on the ground, hearing them crunch under our feet, feeling the mist from a waterfall on our faces. Hiking allows us to see the world in a more personal way and experience it first hand.
5. And there’s more!
Being outside cultivates an appreciation for nature. It gives you time to take in all that is wonderous in our world. It helps you to rediscover that child-like sense of curiosity for the outdoors and the creatures within it. I challenge you to go for a walk in the woods and not be enchanted by a squirrel hopping through the treetops or a beetle scurrying past on the ground. Breath deep and enjoy the fresh air and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. It’s also a perfect place to reflect on the things in life you are grateful for, which, I promise, will help to boost your mood.
So let’s all try to get off the couch and into the outdoors a bit more often!