Rubens’ Blog: The Benefits Of Walking

Published on: 29 Jul, 2022
Updated on: 29 Jul, 2022

Rubens King works as an armed forces caseworker for young people, helping people find training, work experience, volunteering and paid work. He also writes giving advice on mental health issues to tackle stigma and make conversations about mental health normal. Here, he writes about benefits to mental health that walking can offer.

Wellbeing can be maintained in various ways like building resilience, exercising self-compassion, accepting change. Taking up a hobby may be part of this process. One popular pastime is walking.

One of the Guildford Health Walks group. Picture from its Facebook page.

The recently renamed Guildford Health Walks (click here for its Facebook page) programme is well established and very successful. The programme operates under the umbrella of the Ramblers, a organisation that has been co-ordinating walks for over 85 years.

Walking is a proven way to improve mental health. For example, one person hit their goal, asked what’s next and kept making more explorative walking goals which helped manage stress.

Another person rediscovered their joy of walking over lockdown. They joined a local Ramblers group after an introductory walk.

This walker indicated that the Ramblers help by encouraging people from a minority ethnic background, younger people and mums with children to get outside into the countryside.

Therefore, the benefits of walking are health, fitness, fresh air, social benefits, holiday, and breaks from work demands.

From the 2021 Guildford Walkfest, Guildford Street Angels walkers and friends under the Lutyens designed bridge at Compton.

With these fantastic benefits and examples in mind, below are more walking groups and walk events in Guildford.

Age UK Surrey has its GO50 walks programme with some in the Guildford area. Click here for details.

The very popular and free Guildford Parkrun in Stoke Park, in which people can walk, jog or run 5k, takes place every Saturday at 9am.

Coming up in September is the popular annual Guildford Walkfest, with lots of free walks on a range of topics and for all abilities throughout the month. Click here for details.

Rubens King has his own blog site Stay Fruity.