Walking Wellness

 

If you're looking to me for comparison, I'll point out that I'm by no means fit. I can do a hill, I love a mountain and I can walk for miles without moaning but I won't be the fastest and I may not be able to talk to you while I'm doing it. Occasional walking partner, C, hates most kinds of incline, so I sneak the odd peak in when she's not concentrating. S is a cyclist usually and it's clear that my musculature is not better but now considerably adapted to my task.

Walking is good for the mental health, apparently and feels a heck of a lot better than doom-scrolling and watching the hours trickle through your fingers. If the bathroom is still not clean and the washing is piling up but you've conquered Mount Caburn and seen sheep giving birth at Firle Place, you've cracked what's important and given yourself perspective. Home feels much better when you're far from it.

I learn lots too. While a boring path allows your mind to head out on its own, I often return and look up the random buildings, history, remnants, fauna, flora and geology and morphology. It's given me a sense of place and time and the small indulgences have given me a sense of myself.