A word on walking (don't underestimate it)

In my small, stubborn brain, exercise has certain prerequisites, all of an unpleasant, painful and odious nature. It’s something to be avoided, hurried and wished away when one is in the act itself. And if it isn’t these things, it isn’t exercise. 

When I run (I actually sniggered slightly as I wrote those three words, such is the rarity of me moving at elevated speed) I spend literally every passing second working out how much longer I need to run for.  When I’m in the gym (another snigger) I spend the entire time thinking about what to eat when I get home and how great it will be to leave. Which is probably why I hardly ever exercise. 

However, consider this. What if something we do anyway counted as a valid form of exercise? Living in London, you tend to do a lot of walking. Just getting to and from the tube station is a fair old way four times a day, as is just generally doing anything – buying toilet paper, finding a post office (the worst) and heaven forbid the ‘big supermarket shop' for which a pair of walking boots and a hiking rucksack is never a bad call. Just the other day I walked for 15 minutes to find a cashpoint before my eyebrow threading appointment. I was sweating, I had blisters, I was panting. Nightmare. Nothing is easy. But it’s all slightly less painful if we can reap the rewards of those many steps we take every day.

When I reframe walking as exercise, it is no longer annoying. I realise I like walking. I can do it. I don’t feel like a failure, I don’t have to push myself to the point of vomiting and I don’t have to wear lycra. I may as well be watching TV with a bag of Minstrels, such is my newfound joy of walking. 

I’m currently challenging myself to do three exercise sessions a week. And one of those can be an hour walk, alongside perhaps a swim and a yoga session, depending how I feel. Handily, it takes me just over an hour to walk to work if I so choose (which I generally so don’t, except in the event of a tube strike). But now it counts as exercise, I’m managing to build it in. 

If I finish before 7pm (treat) and if it isn't hideous outside (even more of a treat) I’ll often walk. I’m still getting into the swing of it, but when I’m sitting at my desk and planning to walk home, I actually look forward to just being under the sky, a free agent, alone wth my thoughts. I say alone; I’m obviously still surrounded by people (it’s London) but that feeling of not owing them anything and them not expecting anything from me is really calming after a busy day in the office. I’m just walking home. 

Often at the end of a mentally taxing day, putting one foot in front of the other is all you feel capable of. And that’s ok. Don’t try to count steps or calories, just walk. If I’m in the mood for it, I can really feel my thoughts unwinding and slotting themselves into order. But remember to listen to yourself. Don’t force it. If I’m feeling anxious or low, sometime a walk will be the best thing for me but equally if I’m struggling with anxious thoughts sometimes all I want to do is get home from work as quickly as possible and watch trashy tv with my husband. An hour’s walk in that mood sometimes just makes me brood and ruminate. Like with anything, listen to your body and your mind. 

You might have spotted the ‘Brisk 10’ campaign the NHS are currently running out and about which is promoting the benefits of a simple but brisk 10 minute walk in improving mental and physical health. Brisk basically means you’re feeling just a bit out of breath. This is because in exercise terms, the worth of a walk isn't about number of steps or distance – it’s about intensity. So just speeding up for those 10 minutes can make a walk even more beneficial. Equally, ambling is still great for the mind, so think about what you need out of your walk, and just do that.