8 BENEFITS OF WALKING: BENEFITS OF WALKING LONG DISTANCES.
Okay, this title is perhaps a bit misleading, I have of course been walking for more than 18 months. I am after all, in my mid-thirties. So, it would be more accurate to say that I have been walking for over thirty years. What I mean is that, I have been walking long distances for 18 months. My walking has turned into serious walking, even professional walking if you will. I’ve walked in at least 10 different countries, clocking up a fair few kms.
18 months ago, I decided to press pause on my corporate life in London. I have never been a sedentary being and have always loved walking, whether a casual stomp with my dog, a stroll across London Bridge or a weekend hiking and wild camping in the countryside. But I walked my first serious hike in July 2022, The Camino del Norte, one month of walking to be precise. It’s fair to say, I haven’t looked back.
On a more recent 800km plod across Spain, in conversation with a fellow hiker, I confessed that I was walking for research, each step I took was work. It didn’t feel like it, but it was. This is because I now write a hiking and travel blog and produce walking guides. This is a new career for me and in this sense I am actually now a professional walker.
Semantics aside, I have walked well over 5,000km in the last 18 months. That’s the same as Lands End to John O Groats twice, and a bit more. Or, 700km more than the width of the United States of America. I could have walked across the USA. I didn’t, but I could have. As a Brit, who is still astounded by the size of America, this sounds quite mighty to me.
REFLECTING ON THE BENEFITS OF WALKING LONG DISTANCES
As 2023 starts to close in and I’m already listening to my Spotify wrap, I’m beginning to reflect on this new “serious walking” habit I have acquired. What are the benefits? Why do I love it so much? And, are there any downsides?
Here’s what I’ve learnt about the benefits of walking after 18 months of stomping around the world incessantly with my backpack.
Here are 8 benefits of walking long distances
1/ Confidence building
Each day on a long distance hike brings new challenges. Dealing with rain, storms, hills – and you have to just keep on keeping on – there’s no option to stop. Each challenge is a tiny confidence booster. It’s not conquering Everest, but it’s a small victory with each step.
When walking through Norway, I had a three day period of only eating oats with water. One day of walking 38km armed only with a Snickers Bar. I drank from a stream. I was forced to retrace my steps for 4km, after my route was blocked off by an angry cow. After a long day of walking, I had to take down my tent and re-erect it 30m away from the original spot, because a couple had inexplicably decided to pitch right beside me and I could tell that they were snorers.
These are not big things, but they are little hiccups that one must manage when walking a long-distance trail. Each small thing overcome, creates a quiet assurance in ones ability to just “deal with it.”
2/ Creative energy is one of the benefits of walking long distances
Walking becomes a bit of a brainstorming session. Every step is like shaking up a creativity snow globe. Whether you’re a writer, artist, or innovator, the rhythmic motion of walking sparks the flame of creativity, turning the path into a journey of endless possibilities. Of course, turning these “wild ideas” into any semblance of reality when you get off the trails and return home is quite another thing.
3/ Learning as you walk
When you walk long distances, 6 to 10 hours a day sometimes, you have plenty of time on your hands (or should I say on your feet.) You can choose how to spend this time, sometimes I let my thoughts wander, sometimes I am so bored of my own meandering thoughts, that I am forced to drown then out with the sound of a Podcast or Audio Book.
I think we must be at “peak podcast” in 2023, surely – there’s a Podcast for everything. Want to learn about Watergate, Whitney Houston, or even the Elgin Marbles (spoiler alert, they’re not the kind of marbles that decide the contestants fate in Squid Games) – guarantee you can find a podcast about it. As for Audio Books, just play one on Spotify. You don’t even need an Audible membership anymore. A “classic a day” keeps the Doctor away.
4/ Mental clarity is one of the benefits of walking long distances
The rhythm of steps turns into a sort of moving meditation. It’s not like I’ve unlocked the secrets of life, but it’s a nice mental break from the usual chaos. A stroll with benefits, you could say.
Daily life seems to fade into the background as I walk further. A problem that at the start of my walk seemed gargantuan, seems puny by the end of it. There’s suddenly a solution to even the most dastardly of issues.
5/ Seeing different things
Walk is a form of travel. This is without a doubt, the best benefit of walking, in my view. Not only is it a sustainable form of exploration, but it is also slow travel meaning you get to see things slowly (properly) and not as they whizz past you in the car, or under you from the plane.
When I walk, I notice the small wonders. Details become my thing, little joys, big views, and all the quirky stuff in between. The way the light streamed through the trees as I turned the corner, a couple kayaking around the coast in Albania engaged in a loud argument, a small kitten chasing me along a trail in Turkey or horses in a field getting frisky.The nuances are the things that escape hurried gazes.
6/ Meeting new people is one of the benefits of walking long distances
Walking is like a chance encounter club – you don’t know who you will meet and when. The walking community are a friendly, sociable, sometimes kooky lot. There are chances to bond over blisters, sunsets and of course the weather. Turn a corner and suddenly you’ve met a proper kindred spirit.
But, it’s not just walkers that you can meet. Taking time to walk slowly through a foreign country is the perfect opportunity to meet all sorts of folk. If I hadn’t been walking through a village in Vietnam, I never would have met a small boy who kindly handed me his last sticky sweet with his even stickier hand, or stumbled into a tribal wedding where I was invited to join the party.
7/ Body Transformation
Walking is a subtle sculptor, reshaping the body through consistent, moderate exercise. Long-distance walkers witness a
transformation, stronger muscles, increased endurance, and a revitalized sense of well-being. There’s a reason that people post “before and after” photos all over Instagram to document their hiking transformation.
8/ Health Improvements
Beyond the mental realm, the physical benefits of long-distance walking are profound. It’s a cardiovascular workout that strengthens the heart, boosts metabolism, and enhances overall fitness. The miles logged aren’t just a journey; they’re a transformative investment in health. Here’s to hoping each step I walk cancels out the wine and cheese I consume at the end of the day.
And what about the dis-benefits of walking long distances?
Possibly, the main downside to long distance walking that I can think of, is that it is addictive. When I’m not walking, I feel guilty. As though I am not doing enough with my life. Or as though I am letting my health suffer simply by sitting on a sofa binge watching Shetland. Before my first Camino, (BC), I would never have chastised myself for a day spent hungover with the telly box. “Are you still watching?” Netflix would ask me – YES, YES I AM.
The other down side, perhaps, is the small niggling injuries. Walking long distances can take a toll on the body, if you don’t look after yourself carefully. But, then so can a lot of things. I had worse Carpal Tunnel when I sat at my desk for 14 hours a day working. And worse knee pain from being stuffed into a commuter train for a few hours at a time. Minor walking injuries hardly seem to compare to this. Shameless plug, but if you do wan to help manage or mitigate hiking injuries – try yoga (you can find my yoga for hiking course here.)
Finally, my feet are disgusting. Too disgusting to make any pedicurist suffer the sight of them. And, so long as I keep walking, they probably always will be.
Where can you walk?
If you’re convinced by the benefits of walking long distances you can find some inspiration on our blog. Why not start with “The best long-distance hikes in Europe“?
Would you like us to plan your walk for you?
Embark on a journey of a lifetime with Lotus Eaters Travel Planning, where we turn your dream of long-distance walking into a meticulously planned reality.
Our passion for exploration, love for diverse cultures, and commitment to providing an unparalleled experience drive us to offer personalized consultation services for some of the world’s most iconic walking trails
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
British travel writer and long-distance hiker, native to Kent. Emma has walked the Camino de Santiago more than ten times, completed trails across Europe from the Corfu Trail to the Fisherman’s Trail, and covered thousands of kilometres on foot. She always writes from first-hand experience. Her goal? Inspire just one person to go on their first long-distance hike.
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2 responses to “8 benefits of walking long distances from a professional walker”
[…] enhance this more during your trip, take time to focus on complete well being – maybe reaping the benefits of walking, yoga or eating well […]
[…] When I returned from my first Camino, I’d loved it so much that it was clear that I would walk again. In fact I did three months later. Since then, I’ve walked the Camino Portuguese, the Camino Frances, the Via Francigena, St Olav’s Way, the Lycian Way and parts of the Jordan Trail. Nearly 4000km over 18 months of walking. […]