The sociable strider
“The deepest friendships I’ve had in my life have been with people that I’ve met through walking. The fact that you are exercising your body tends to open your mind as well. So if you are walking with somebody else, it’s amazing how honest you become with each other. Certainly in long-distance walking, by the time you see your second dawn with someone, whatever masks you might have had at the beginning have long since disappeared.”
John Walker, 64; walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 59 days
The long-distance hiker
“I was about 72 when someone put me in touch with the LDWA (Long Distance Walkers Association), and I’ve been walking with them ever since. It has improved my fitness levels hugely. In fact, I’m now aware that I’m a lot fitter than some younger people I know. And it’s good for my state of mind, too. Everything melts away, and you can just enjoy the moment. Now I really don’t feel my day is complete unless I’ve had an out-of-doors buzz. There’s no great mystique about it: it’s just a natural, normal thing to do.”
Betty Lewis, 76; the oldest female to complete the Hundred, a 100-mile cross-country challenge
The competitive stroller
“Like any form of exercise, the hardest thing about walking is getting off your butt and going out there. So it’s a good idea to keep a log of what you do. If you write down that three miles took an hour, then tomorrow see if you can do three and a half. I am still breaking my own records, even as I get older. Logging your walks like this also suggests continuity, so a walk is not just a single event, it’s part of a longer process. It gets very addictive.”
Garfield Southall, 59; co-organiser of the Heart of Scotland Hundred walking challenge
The medical miracle
“I suffered from lower back pain for about 30 years; 18 months ago it suddenly got much worse and my quality of life was badly affected. After years of stooping, my posture was dreadful; I suffered neck and shoulder pain during and after every walk. I eventually saw a consultant who suggested surgery. After the operation, my physio told me to start walking every day, so I signed up for a two-day walking course. After the first day my neck and shoulder pain vanished. I was euphoric. By focusing on my postural alignment, I felt taller and more confident. It’s completely transformed the way I walk.”
Dorothy Williams, 66; member of Walkactive
The lunchtime eloper
“I walk in my lunch break every day at work. I have a five-mile route set out, on road, and just stomp round it in an hour. All you need to do is take in your tracksuit bottoms and your trainers. And if you’re reasonably fit you can get round without breaking sweat, so you just get back, get changed, eat, and get back to work. You can go out feeling tired, and come back feeling awake; the fresh air is like a caffeine kick.”
Tara Williams, 37; columnist for Strider walking magazine
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