Step into wellness: Embrace the season with a winter walk

Sport and Faith Coach Rachel took herself on a winter walk for her wellbeing and shares her thoughts below:

"I wouldn’t call myself sporty but I do like to be active. I love a long walk, whatever the weather. I connect walking boots on my feet with feeling good. A walk in torrential rain when wrapped up warm, snuggled inside a waterproof is one of my happy places. It’s been scientifically proven that walking in the rain is even better for us than walking when it’s sunny. Yes, the sunshine helps our vitamin D levels and boosts our mood, but breathing in wonderfully damp, droplet-laden air can relieve stress and increase our energy levels.  

But even for me, an avid walker, getting out on a dull, dreary winter’s day when there are only a few hours of daylight and the paths underfoot are muddy can be a challenge. I can sit at my computer for hours and make every excuse as to why I’ll leave it another half an hour or why it can wait until tomorrow. Before I know it, the sun has set and it’s too late. Yet without fail, I know a walk will make me feel better, my head will be clearer and my body will be healthier. 

When I go for a walk and give myself a bit more time, I like to be intentional about paying attention to my surroundings. I take notice of how my body feels: the cold air on my cheeks, the way my limbs warm up as I walk. I look closely at things which catch my eye: a droplet of water on a blade of grass, a green shoot poking up between paving slabs, the long shadow my body casts in the low winter sun. I listen to the sounds around me: the song of a robin from a branch or the scampering of a squirrel through dry leaves. I pause and touch a smooth leaf or the rough bark of a tree, noticing the different textures and the variety within the natural world.  

As I move mindfully, my walk becomes much more than just ‘going for a walk’; it becomes a prayer. I wonder: what might God be saying to me through all that I notice? I ask: what could I do to take care of the area I live in? I give thanks: for my body, my senses, the beauty of the world around me.  

This week, why not wrap up warm and head out for a winter walk, whether that’s around your housing estate, along a canal or into the forest. Go alone, take your dog, or find a friend to join you. Most of all, pay attention to how it makes you feel. I always come home smiling, inspired to make plans for when I can go out again. I hope you do too!"