Walks by water thought to help bring a sense of calm

Two-thirds of the most popular walks during lockdown were near water – be it sea, lakes, ponds or rivers – suggesting that it provided a calming effect for many, in the midst of a global health crisis.

This is according to a survey of the top 250 most downloaded walks in the first six weeks of lockdown, (between midMarch and the end of April) by Outdooractive.

The survey found downloads of walks in England and Wales more than tripled during lockdown – an increase of 246 per cent.

More than a third of the walks were in national parks or designated Areas of Outstanding NaturalBeauty. While29per cent took a stroll by rivers and waterfalls, 20 per cent were at lakes or ponds and 17 per cent of all the walks were by the sea.

Other findings showed the importance of getting up on high to put problems in perspective with hills or mountains the focal point in 15 per cent of walks, while the benefits of forest bathing were seen as 13 per cent centred on woodlands.

According to the survey, the average length of a walk was 2.6 miles and most took just over an hour (65 minutes).

Craig Wareham, from Outdooractive,said: “Our results show that walking near water might go some way to help banish the winter blues – studies have shown that water can help lift people’s mood, vitality and wellbeing.

“In these darker months, lots of people will be looking for some motivation to leave their house.

“Information about the types of popular walk and their duration suggests that promoting 60-minute walks near lakes, canals and ponds would help boost morale and reduce traffic to the coast.

“It is permitted to walk with a friend and sharing downloadable routes make it easier for people to be more adventurous or perhaps find walks or jogs on their doorstep.”

The boom in popularity of the NHS Couch to 5K was also reflected in a doubling of downloads ( a 111 per cent increase) of one to five km circular jogging routes.

Walks can be uploaded and shared through the Outdooractive site. A challenge button for walkers allows them to log their distance and times, providing further motivation if training or raising money for charity.

For more walking inspiration, including bird watching walks visit www.outdooractive.com and search for your local area.