Walk your Way to Wellness | Macs Adventure

Walk Your Way to Wellness

After a season of indulgence, the New Year often injects fresh motivation to start new habits and reach goals. A mission to get fit and healthy is high on the resolution list, which sees us dusting off our exercise gear and reaching for our hiking boots.

These new habits should be for life, not just for (post) Christmas, and need to be introduced in a way that doesn’t feel unsustainable or overwhelming, so there’s no reverting to old routines after a few weeks of commitment.

So, to begin this fresh, new year, we’re inspiring, motivating and encouraging adventurers – new and experienced - to walk regularly, so that your healthy lifestyle sticks around beyond January.

“Our community has been inspiring people to walk for over 20 years now - sharing stories about their journeys and the positive impact that walking has had on their mental health and wellbeing. Step by step we’ll be looking to support as many people as possible to stay active.” - Neil Lapping, Founder

Is walking good for you?

Great question. Studies show that walking between 7.5k-10k steps a day can be extremely beneficial for your health, here’s how...

Nature nurtures – stretching your legs amongst nature is a great antidote for stress. It relaxes, enhances mental well-being, tops up your Vitamin D and fills your lungs with fresh air.
Mood booster – exercise releases endorphins, a chemical which helps block out pain, reduce stress and leaves you feeling happier.
Increase energy – yes you read right, doing exercise fills your energy tank, leaving you feeling more productive and motivated.
Sweet dreams – adding activity to your daily routine helps improve your quality of sleep, so you’ll wake up feeling rested and refreshed.
Overall health – regular and daily walks help build stamina, burn excess calories, make your heart healthier, and contribute to good mental health and wellbeing.

“We know through the work we do just how powerful physical activity can be as a tool for improving mental health and cannot advocate it enough for positive mental wellbeing.” - Neil Harris, CEO, Sport in Mind

It’s estimated that more than a quarter of UK adults own an exercise tracker of some kind, with a third of those wearing theirs every single day, meaning it’s now easier than ever to keep track of your steps. So, what are you waiting for? Step to it!

How to get started on your walking journey

Begin with short brisk walks during your lunch break or to start your day – you should feel slightly out of breath.
When that starts to feel easier, increase your walking time by at least 2 minutes, then 5 minutes and so on.
Continue to do this over the course of the next couple of months.
Maybe go on one of our easier and first-time adventures or a Slower Adventure to give you a taste of the joys of a walking holiday.
Before you know it, you’ll be totally hooked on walking in nature (like we are!).

Our walking route step counts

We’ve done a bit of digging and worked out roughly how many steps it takes to complete some of our popular walks, to show just how achievable your walking goals really are!*