This month is National Walking Month, an annual celebration that encourages people to get out and walk more.
Here at Rooted Ocean we love a good walk, whether it’s exploring the South West Coast Path stretches around here or heading inland to Bodmin, Dartmoor and local woodland trails.
What is National Walking Month?
This month-long campaign is promoted by the British Heart Foundation, who use it as a way to promote a healthier lifestyle and also raise funds to support people with heart disease and other health conditions.
During the month, people are encouraged to walk more, including walking to school or work.
Lisa Young from the British Heart Foundation says: “Walking is a fantastic way to keep active and maintain a healthy heart as it is fun, flexible and free.”
Why go walking?
There’s lots of great reasons why you should walk more, but here’s a few we think are important:
- It helps you connect with nature and appreciate what our outdoor spaces have to offer
- It keeps you fit and healthy – walking is as good as any exercise and you can keep it fairly low impact
- It’s a great way to start or end the day – it gives you time to think or not think if you need to switch off.
What gear do I need?
Depending on where you are going to be walking and how long for, the most important item is a good pair of comfortable shoes.
Beyond that, having clothing to keep you warm and dry is important. Otherwise you don’t need much more to be able to get out and about.
If you’re going to start doing a lot more, especially when it’s not just dry and sunny, there’s plenty of specific equipment you might want to consider, with everything from clothing to walking poles.
We asked the team in our workshop what gear they were using when they headed out exploring…
Lee uses his Strand Knapsack to pack in everything he needs for a day’s rambling, including a water bottle, waterproofs and of course plenty of snacks!
Matt makes sure he also has a Little Traveller blanket with him. It’s waterproof and padded, so is perfect for those mid-hike picnics.
Where should I go?
Depending where you live in the UK, there are so many great places to go walking, with many of our National Parks or coastlines being a short drive or train and bus ride away from most towns and cities.
Even if you’re living in an urban area, there’s lots of exploring you can do on your two feet.
Have a look at the Slow Ways initiative, which is creating a network of walking routes that connect Britain’s towns, cities and national parks.
Hopefully you will think about getting out for more walks this month. We’d love to hear how you get on, so please let us know via our socials.
