Reviews: The Walking Cure (5)

Walking can become the finest medicine. When I am nervous, worried, emotionally exhausted, walking becomes my cure. Reading is an escape but your mind can't help veering away from the pages to a dark place on its own. Walking fills your brain with images, people, discoveries. Even when you take a walk in your neighbourhood, you may discover a newly renovated house, new families, new pets, a tree that has been planted recently. You may take a glimpse of lives behind the curtains and the caramel-lit windows. And for a few moments, your mind is cured.

In this wonderful book, Annabel Streets takes you on a (walking) journey to cities and sacred places. To pilgrimages, walks by rivers and lakes. Hiking on mountains and hills, strolls by the side of abandoned railways, nocturnal explorations. Written in beautiful, flowing language and containing useful notes and informative extracts on the proven mental and psychological benefits of walking, this volume is a true treasure for every lover of Nature Writing and passionate walker. It made me wish I lived in a city where walking at night was safe...Then again, in today's societies walking at night is madness. We have our 'democratic' governments to thank for that...

This books talks you through different landscapes and how walking in them affects your health. It's a very relaxing and quick read full of interesting ideas and facts.

Walking can become the finest medicine. When I am nervous, worried, emotionally exhausted, walking becomes my cure. Reading is an escape but your mind can't help veering away from the pages to a dark place on its own. Walking fills your brain with images, people, discoveries. Even when you take a walk in your neighbourhood, you may discover a newly-renovated house, new families, new pets, a tree that has been planted recently. You may take a glimpse of lives behind the curtains and the caramel - lit windows. And for a few moments, your mind is cured.

In this wonderful book, Annabel Streets takes you on a (walking) journey to cities and sacred places. To pilgrimages, walks by rivers and lakes. Hiking on mountains and hills, strolls by the side of abandoned railways, nocturnal explorations. Written in beautiful, flowing language and containing useful notes and informative extracts on the proven mental and psychological benefits of walking, this volume is a true treasure for every lover of Nature Writing and passionate walker. It made me wish I lived in a city where walking at night was safe...

Whether you’re an experienced mountain walker, or just prefer a local stroll, you will find many nuggets of information presented here. With a focus on wellbeing and mental health, there is an element of science included and findings from various studies are described, but the main message is that anywhere you choose to walk will be beneficial in some way.

I particularly enjoyed learning about ecotones and will be keeping a look out for these areas in future! There’s also an interesting titbit about Beatrix Potter too…

I've enjoyed working through this over the past week or so - a really interesting delve into the physical and mental benefits of walking in general and of walking in different settings. There are some parts I was aware of, and I certainly didn't need to be converted to the benefits of walking, but the book is full of so many interesting things. Eye-opening and a really easy read. Would recommend!