Three in four say walking aids mental health

PEOPLE may have abandoned many of the habits foisted on them during the Covid lockdowns, whether it was mask wearing or elbow bumping, but walking isn’t one of them.

For two years a walk was one of the few forms of exercise available to people, as Covid restrictions kept businesses such as gyms closed and cars off the road.

But after millions opted to stroll more during the pandemic, three in four people have said that walking has helped their physical and mental health this year, according to a new survey.

The study by retailer GO Outdoors and Mind, the mental health charity, also found that 65 per cent believed this was a legacy of the pandemic.

Prior to Covid, more than half of people (55 per cent) saw walking as a means of get ting from A to B.

The survey of 2,012 adults also showed that three quarters of people find walking to be their most preferred form of exercise because it has no financial barriers (75 per cent), is good for their mental health (74 per cent) and is inclusive (73 per cent).

Walking in nature has been shown to have positive effects for both physical and mental wellbeing.

Andrew Lee, at the South Downs National Park Authority, said that “the lockdowns provided an opportunity to experience the joys and benefit of walking in nature for the first time”.

Haroon Mota, who founded Muslim Hikers group during the pandemic, said he did so to address rising loneliness.

“During the global pandemic, I enjoyed going out for a hike or walk as a way to

‘Lockdowns were an opportunity to try the joys of walking in nature’

get some fresh air and to destress but I found it strange that, despite living in a diverse city [Coventry], there weren’t many people that looked like me doing the same,” he told Parkrun.com.

“That’s why, at a time when lots of people were becoming increasingly lonely, I set up an online community with the aim of inspiring and empowering more ethnic minorities to enjoy the outdoors together.”

The latest data from the capital shows that Londoners are more likely to walk since the pandemic.