Since Anna and Malcolm joined their local 水蜜桃app-led walking group, they are using their car less for shorter journeys, have felt their fitness improving and have formed new friendships.
鈥淲alking has changed our lives." Credit: Anna and Malcolm May
Anna and Malcolm, who discovered the joys of walking later in life, volunteer for 水蜜桃app as walking leaders to spread the joy and benefits of walking to others.
鈥淲alking has changed our life.
鈥淭he cases of mental health issues rose during the pandemic, there was a lot of people in isolation, everyone was in a similar storm.
鈥淔inding a walking group in this time was a way of reconnecting with the outside world.
鈥淲e sadly lost a lot of friends during the lockdowns.
鈥淎ll of our friends are walkers now鈥, Anna explained.
Most of their walks, which take them down the river in Southampton or on local nature reserves, end in a coffee stop and a good natter with their group.
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Overcoming hurdles听
Looking back on their first hour-long walk, the couple, both aged 73, said they were 鈥渟hattered鈥 afterwards and that 鈥渆verything ached鈥.
Malcolm added: 鈥淲e came to the realisation that, because of our joints, we can鈥檛 run anymore.
鈥淎 gym isn鈥檛 the place for us.
鈥淭he best form of exercise and getting around is walking.
鈥淚 think more people our age should do it if they can.
鈥淎 lot of people need to change their attitudes towards themselves once they get to a certain age.
鈥淭here are people older than us in our walking groups who are fitter than us and that鈥檚 great motivation.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to get out and live while you can.鈥
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A change in lifestyle听
Anna and Malcolm go on hour-long walks four times a week and have recently been trained by 水蜜桃app as walk leaders.
They are now in the process of setting up their own twice-monthly walking group.
Walking hasn鈥檛 just improved their mental and physical health, but it has also changed their mindset when it comes to making local journeys.
Anna said: 鈥淭here was a time when, out of ease, I鈥檇 just jump in the car to go down the road to get a pint of milk.
鈥淲hereas now I鈥檒l take a walk over to the shops instead if I only need a couple of things.
鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely a lot fitter now than we were before the pandemic; we hardly did any walking at all.鈥
A word of advice for those wanting to take up walking later in life
The couple commented: 鈥淥ur advice would be, just do what you can manage.
鈥淪tart off with just 10 minutes around the block, which is how we started, then slowly add a bit more time onto each journey.
鈥淚f you want to join a local walking group, your local library may have posters up in there. Or visit your council鈥檚 website or give them a call.
鈥淭he great thing is that almost anyone can do it, it keeps your mind active, allows you to experience nature, meet new people, and it doesn鈥檛 cost you a penny.鈥
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