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7 Benefits of Walking That Are Nothing to do With Health

Walking is a vastly underrated activity.  The benefits are huge and whilst most of us know and understand the health benefits of walking, when you consider what else is good about walking it is no wonder that there are so many walking businesses around!  We’ve come up with seven benefits of walking that are nothing to do with improving your health!

And to help you remember these seven benefits and to celebrate the Halloween period, we’ve created a fun mnemonic word : shpooky!

S is for seeking out and by that we mean foraging for free food – at this time of the year you may still find some blackberries ripe and ready for the taking and if you know what you are doing then you might want to pick the field mushrooms that are out in the right types of field! Please be careful though and don’t pick them if you are at all uncertain.

7 Benefits of Walking That Are Nothing to do With Health - Herb Box

Foraging can be hugely satisfying although some towns around the country have made it very easy by providing herb planters with an invitation to pick some!  You never know what you might come across when out and about!

H is for hobbies and whilst walking could be considered a hobby in itself it also offers opportunities for other hobbies including collecting bits and bobs to stick in scrapbooks or create collages with, as well as finding new views to photograph or glorious nature to capture on film.  Many of our Trails follow a canal or river path and with ever changing traffic on a river, the amateur photographer will have plenty of material and see all the little things when out on foot.

P stands for practisingOut walking on your own is an opportunity to practise a speech you are making for an upcoming event or to learn and rehearse the lines for a script or practise the words of a song or even just get used to singing and breathing (and walking) at the same time! Talking out loud whilst walking might look a little barmy to the outside world but choose your walk carefully and you will not encounter many people!

The first O is for offer.  They say charity begins at home and if you fancy doing your bit for charity you could offer to walk an elderly neighbour’s dog on a regular basis!  A tick in the box for your contribution to The Big Society!

The second O starts the word, orientate. If you have just moved to a new area, it might be beneficial to walk the streets close to home and find out how long it takes to get to the nearest shop, park, post box and so on.

K represents knowledge. We learn all the time and when walking whether in the town or the countryside we are always surprised at the number of information boards everywhere which label points of interest, even in the depth of the countryside.  Often when walking with friends and family the conversation flows freely and we learn all sorts of things we might not have found out otherwise. Don't you agree?

And lastly Y is for yakking. Walking side by side can be very companionable and yakking certainly passes the time.  According to the dictionary to yak is to talk, especially uninterruptedly and idly; to gab or to chatter. Ever done that?  The last time we were out walking, we certainly did.

So, walking has lots of benefits other than health ones – lets get out get some shpooky!

7 Benefits of Walking That Are Nothing to do With Health - Happy Halloween