Walking Holidays: Good for the Environment and your Health

Walking Holidays: Environmental Benefits and a Richer Experience

If you are fond of traveling, walking is a wonderful alternative to a regular holiday, as not only it requires no special skills or training, but allows you to explore new places at a slow pace to understand the people and culture on your way as well.

In short, a walking holiday is one where you walk from one village to another through beautiful countrysides, have a lodge to rest for the night and often have your luggage transferred beforehand so you don’t have to backpack.

The UK in particular, is a great place to plan this type of a walking itinerary as there are numerous routes to choose from. Here we have put together some good reasons to put a ramble into the countryside on top of your next holiday list.

Using reputed sites like Mickledore can be a sure fire way to make your walking holidays in the UK a success.

More walkers will result in a better environment

When more people walk and fewer cars are used, the noise pollution takes a significant plunge, providing health benefits not only for humans and animals but to the environment also.

Choosing to walk even a short distance instead of taking a car can impact the environment significantly over the course of just one year by decreasing the amount of emissions drastically.

Furthermore, walking, apart from limiting pollution from car emissions, can also contribute to reduced expenditure in the future from pollution damage to both buildings and nature, resulting in utilizing less money for fixing any impairments.

For instance,The West Highland Way, a premier long-distance trail in Scotland, ensures responsible walking by keeping the path litter-free and safeguarding wildlife.

It also encourages walkers to camp on the route so as to cause minimal environmental impact on the country’s iconic spots such as Loch Lomond and Glen Coe, among others.

Walking holidays make for great exercise

An obvious health benefit of walking is that anyone can participate in this excellent all-round exercise that is good for heart health, helps lower blood pressure and boosts the efficiency of the lungs.

Hiking is a kind of physical exercise that helps to build stronger bones, increase stamina and improve the overall core balance. Also exposure to natural light promotes reserves of vitamin D, which is an important component for good bone health.

Again, walking involves traversing both even and uneven surfaces, which is good for all muscle groups, including ones that are otherwise rarely used to engage the brain for staying upright.

The South West Coast Path is the longest walk in Britain as it stretches for 630 miles from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbor in Dorset. Thanks to the effort of the local association, the quaint villages enroute actively promote sustainable tourism.

Walkers are encouraged to use public transport to access the path while businesses on the way do their bit by sourcing local produce to reduce the environmental impact.

Boosts mental health

Even a gentle stroll in natural surroundings can improve mental well-being and help focus on the present moment.This helps in stress reduction and anxiety and provides relief from the pressure of day to day problems.

Walks take you through forests where you can unplug from modern life and immerse yourself in nature among the trees in complete seclusion.

Walking outdoors also relieves people with depression as this physical activity results in release of endorphins which help bring relief from stress and pain, besides boosting your mood and sense of well-being.

If done on a regular basis, walking can improve your attitude to life and keep your head clear of mental strife which the hectic everyday life tends to pile on us.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Wales has strictly enforced sustainable tourism practices that boost local conservation efforts by encouraging use of public transport and staying only in those lodges and resorts that have fully embraced sustainability.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path Association on their part strives hard to minimize erosion in order to protect the fragile ecosystem surrounded by the sea to the north, south and west, a raw landscape full of wildlife filled spots.

Benefits the immune system

Getting outdoors makes us step out of our sedentary lifestyle and exposes our body to a number of micro-organisms that are beneficial for overall health and at the same time build a strong immune system.

After a walk outside in a natural environment the white blood cells show a significant increase and thus equip the body to ward off any potential illness or infection better. Even if you go for a walk once a week, it is effective to keep the flu and cold at bay.

Set in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the famous Cotswold Way is another 102 miles long-distance walk that begins from Chipping Campden in the north to outside the cathedral in Bath.

Sustainable walking has been well effected by the Cotswold Way National Trail association through use of public transport and supporting the local communities.The Conservation Board of the path also works tirelessly to safeguard the diversity and natural beauty of the region.

Apart from the spectacular landscape, there are ancient castles to explore, serene lakes to kayak in, local wines to sample and endless walking trails to hike across seven counties and is just ninety minutes from London.

Walking is a great social activity

While hiking can be a way of finding solitude, it is also a wonderful way to make new friends and strengthen old ties when walking with a companion you know.

Spending time with people you walk with or meet on the road allows a perfect opportunity to spend time talking together without the distractions of modern life.

This act of opening up and talking freely goes a long way to strengthen bonds of friendship and share experiences that you will remember forever.

This social exercise is also good for those who are struggling with loneliness and shrug off the feeling of being alone which has a profound negative effect on both physical and mental health.

As one of the oldest walking trail in Britain, The Pennine Way is a challenging walk from Edale in the Peak District to as far as Kirk Uetholm on the Scottish border for 265 miles over dramatic landscapes and remote woodlands.

Here also the park’s association works hard to promote sustainable walking, especially when it passes through several protected areas that have embraced conservation projects in an effort to protect the environment.

Given the walk passes through several hotspots, many people choose to hike the Pennine Way, means it becomes very easy to meet other hikers and even day trippers. Overall it is rare to go a couple of miles, without bumping into anyone.