Unlike many of my fellow GetOutside Champions who make their living from fun sounding hand on and outdoorsy work, I have an ordinary corporate job and work in an office sat at a computer from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. This means that finding time for outdoors adventures is pretty limited, and so I have recently started to commute on foot. And I have to say, it is wonderful. Most of the time.
For those of you who watch from car or train windows, I am now one of the brigade of people who don trainers or boots with their smart work wear and march my way to the office in the morning. My route is just shy of three miles each way, and while it does make me sweat a little more than it should, it is such a nice way to commute. The basic act of putting one foot in front of each other for an hour at each end of the day has proved wonderful in helping me collect my thoughts, get some exercise, and most importantly, breathe.
But why go to the effort? Surely there are more productive things I could do with two hours by driving my car or jumping on the bus? Actually I see this in a very childlike way; that time outside is my time. In the morning the walk is my opportunity to wake up, get my heart pumping and my lungs filled with fresh air. I start the day with some exercise and arrive at work ready to go – after a cup of tea, of course. In the evening I use the time to switch off from the day job and let go of the pressures of work. I arrive home relaxed and content, ready for my dinner and a nice evening doing something productive – or just nothing.
I don’t walk every day, it’s not always convenient (and sometimes I’d get drenched!). But it’s more doable than you might think when you make it the norm.