People often say to me they’d like to get into hiking or ask me how did I get into walking? However, I often detect a note of concern or hint of anxiety in their voices.
They worry about the mileage, can I walk ten miles? Will I get cramp? Do I have the right footwear? Will I get blisters? Will my toenails fall off?
These are all legitimate questions to a degree. They may often mask a broader concern over their conditioning which may be fully justified should it follow a surgery, an illness or difficult pregnancy or anything where confidence in their bodies has been shaken.
But we take our first independent steps sometime between nine and twelve months and we’re up causing mayhem by the time we’re fourteen to fifteen months (give or take a month or two.)
We have evolved to walk, we are all walkers and the way to become a good walker is simply to walk.
In an age of pedometer apps it’s easy to see how far we’ve walked, how many calories we’ve burned and track our progress over days, weeks, months. If we walk on our own, it is something we can do at our own pace, we can push ourselves up a hill or sit on a bench if we’re tired. If we’re walking with others we adapt to the pace of the group as we walk and talk. (I nearly always walk faster with other people as I have a tendency to observe my surroundings that bit more when I’m on my own.)
All of this is common sense. It’s not rocket science. But if you want to build up your fitness or fancy doing more challenging walks, or having those memorable mountain views without your lungs bursting, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself.
Getting the miles in the legs
You can start by walking on the flat to build up your leg strength and stamina. Walking is about endurance and your legs have to work very hard to propel you onwards. There are four main muscle groups used in walking.
1. The Quadriceps – which work together to allow you to extend the knee whilst the rectus femoris which flexes the hip allows you to lift your foot off the ground.
2. The Hamstrings and Glutes allow the bending of the knee and the extending of the hip (of the rear leg) during a stride.
3. Lower leg – The tibialis anterior muscle is worked extensively while walking to lift your toes off the ground. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles make up the calf muscles on the back of the leg. These muscles are responsible for the plantar lifting the heel. They are activated on the rear of the foot when pushing off the ground to propel yourself forward.
4. Upper Body Muscles – The abdominal muscles are used to support your torso as well as stabilize your pelvis while the muscles of your back work to maintain posture and keep your body in the upright position. Your shoulders are exercised continually as you swing your arms back and forth.
You will find that walking on flat tracks with few obstacles will help you find a rhythm when walking. Your cardiovascular system will not be working as hard as it would on a trudge up Ben Nevis and you’ll clock up the miles and burn the calories relatively quickly if that is your aim.
Finding flat tracks – railways and rivers
So my tip is to find tracks or footpaths which follow rivers and old railway lines.
Many of the paths I follow with my group are reclaimed from the ruins of old railway lines. Remnants of an era of heavy industry, when coal and steel were transported across country by the tonne. Those days may be long gone but now it’s people who transport themselves by foot or bike along these tracks that have been resurfaced at no small effort or cost so that people can enjoy the richness of the environment. Most are part of a national network linking coast to coast and are clearly marked on both paper and electronic maps. Some people find real enjoyment in piecing together this history and walking the tracks can unlock some of those secrets.
Rivers generally have paths or tracks running parallel to them. Most walks will follow a waterway of some description at some point in the journey. Aside from being flat, rivers afford us the opportunity to watch wildlife as we walk. I’ve seen kingfishers, otters, water voles and many other riverside fauna. Most reservoirs have tracks running round them too. Locally I’ve been fortunate enough to watch ospreys fishing the Derwent Reservoir, fattening themselves up for the return to flight to Africa.
So whether it’s an insight into the hidden history of transport and old industry or whether it’s a glimpse into the lives of the local wildlife, following these flat tracks can enrich your walking experience and make the distance less of a focus.
Getting Kitted Out
So what kit do you need to start walking? I think you can approach this in two ways.
If your walking is going to be casual, once a month, along flat tracks perhaps you’re just walking the dog or stretching the legs, then you don’t really need anything other than warm clothes and comfortable footwear. If you want to preserve your favourite trainers then you might want a pair of sturdier shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy. This you can do for around £25-35 at most discount sports shops. Nearly everyone will have a waterpoof top or jacket and some warm under layers so you don’t need to spend a fortune. The aim is just to be warm, dry and comfortable.
Should your walking become a regular thing that extends beyond flat tracks and river paths to more challenging terrain, then you might want think about the following clothing and items below. This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many other items seasoned walkers would add to it. But taken as a starting point, having these things will enable you to walk most places with confidence knowing you’re prepared for any conditions you might encounter. It also protects your casual wear from the attrition that comes from walking.
Hiking boots/trainers
Walking trousers/walking shorts
windproof top
waterproof top
walking socks
fleece/warm layer
Down Jacket
Hat &|Gloves
Sunglasses
Walking poles
rucksack
water container
GPS/map & compass
Where to get them
You could probably spend somewhere between £200 and £2000 to acquire everything on that list but I’m going to stick to the lower end of the market because when you start out you don’t want to be paying out a fortune, you can increase your range and quality of kit as you go.
So for value look at the following places
Decathlon – a one stop shop for all outdoor gear. It’s a French company and they have their own brand Quechua www.quechua.co.uk. Some pretty cool designs and gallic flair combined with cheapish pricing and decent quality apparel. The staff tend to know a bit about the products and the outdoors.
Lidl & Aldi – Some real bargains to be found in their Crivit range. Not the best fitting clothing I’ve ever had but durable and surprisingly aesthetically pleasing. Well worth looking through the piles in the centre isles.
Sports Direct – As a Newcastle fan, not my favourite company in the world but the Karrimor brand bought by Mike Ashley, has a good range of outdoor clothing, footwear and accessories.
Other places such as Blacks and Mountain Warehouse also offer good value and can easily kit out a walker.
Well that’s about it from me. The next blog is going to be about challenge walks and walking longer distances. So until then put your best foot forward and thanks for reading.
Keiron
