The best way to work? It starts with a single step

Juliet Eysenck champions a relaxed commute

Forget the car, bus, train or Tube: walking to work is healthy, free and better for the environment. By choosing to commute on foot, you can jump the traffic jams, steer clear of strike action and laugh at the very thought of “leaves on the line”. Clare Dyer, 23, is one of a growing number of people pounding the pavements to get to the office. To reach her desk in Bond Street by 8am, she leaves her shared house in Tooting Bec shortly after 6am – a distance of about six miles. Her walk takes her through some of London’s finest green spaces – Clapham Common and Battersea Park, then across Chelsea Bridge and up through Green Park. On any given day, she will either complete the journey to the office, or back home from work, by foot, and use public transport for the other journey. She initially started walking to the office as a way of staying active, but has realised that the benefits extend much further. Dyer, who works in recruitment, says: “I’ve never been into running and would much rather walk for two hours than run for half an hour.” Simon Barnett, director of walking development at the walking charity Ramblers, says: “Guidelines state adults should be active for 150 minutes per week, which some people with busy lifestyles can find difficult to fit in. But if you walk briskly on weekdays for 15 minutes to work and 15 minutes home, you are already meeting these guidelines. “Walking home is also the perfect way to unwind after