Walk, don’t run! Why Walking is the Best Tonic for Health

For the last three years, our small walking group based in Perth that meets twice a week has ventured south in late October to join the Annual Margaret River Coastrek. This is a charity walk set up by indefatigable Di Westaway that brings women of all ages together to walk a set distance, either 20 or 35 km to raise funds for a charity.

I’ve been an Ambassador for Coastrek for the last three years because I strongly believe in what it sets out to achieve.

On our first Coastrek, we ‘The Happy Thrivers’ were a happy band of six. That number has steadily grown as more friends wanted to come along. In 2025 we were 14 strong and decided we needed to identify ourselves by wearing some brightly coloured tutus and headbands.

These were very helpful to know where we all were along the course because some in the group were naturally faster walkers than others, and it’s quite hard to pick out your friends amongst 1300 others.

 

For us it was an opportunity to get out of Perth, to have a fun weekend with girlfriends in a beautiful part of SW Western Australia, to set ourselves the challenge of finishing the course and know we’re doing something for the greater good.

But there’s something else at play too.

Walking with others is not just a great way to enjoy some of the natural beauty on our doorstep, it’s the camaraderie, the catch ups on all the goss and sharing what we see in our environment like the red-tailed black cockatoo parrots announcing their presence with their characteristic squawks as they fly overhead, or a quenda rustling in the grass or watching the humpback whales frolicking off the coast.

Just as I prefer to travel with others, walking with friends also strengthens social ties, building that all important sense of belonging.

Although there are times when walking alone feels the right thing to do.

I have always loved being outside in nature and have learnt I feel so much better when I’ve spent time walking our dogs or walking with my husband or friends.

It’s been my go-to if I haven’t been feeling my best. I always come back from a walk feeling more energised, in a happier mood and calm. These are the times where I enjoy time alone, to spend time with my thoughts and be grateful for the beauty and healing qualities of nature.

 

Di Westaway, the Founder of Coastrek, who I mentioned above, realised what she had created was so much more than just a charity walk for women. This led her to research the impact of group social walking on women’s mental health and well-being and longevity, tracking 400 women who undertook the 12-week training program prior to the Coastrek activity.

This is what her research showed.

Key Findings.

• Mental Health Boost: Participants experienced a 5.6% boost in mental well-being – a significant and lasting improvement confirmed by the study.
• Economic Value: Each participant gained an average mental-health value of $4,000, equating to a potential $20 million annual national impact. That’s massive. Preventing mental illness is priceless and this research showed the economics walking can provide.
• Sustained Results: Women who continued walking in nature maintained improvements long-term. Signing up for a long walk is one thing, but it’s the consistency of habit that pays the biggest benefits

Walking in nature provides the unique combination of physical movement, social connection, and purpose – three key drivers of longevity and mental well-being.

The Happy Thrivers can attest for the above.

While exhausted by our efforts, the training paid off and we celebrated our success. But the natural high experienced continued for weeks after the event. We became ‘The VERY Happy Thrivers.’

Though I have to confess we also had secret weapon. One of our group, physiotherapist Lize Prinsloo teaches Laughter Yoga. On our training walks she encourages us to pause for a Laughie Minute.

Here you basically record yourself on your iPhone for one minute laughing.

It feels ridiculous, and that one minute can seem mighty long, but it’s one of the best workouts for body and mind and it always leaves us with huge smiles on our faces.

 

 

Better together. The rise of walking groups.

Walking groups are becoming increasingly popular and with good reason.

In Australia, hiking and bushwalking has surged in popularity with women comprising over half the hikers especially in those aged 34-65 and according to Di’s research, it’s because of the mental well-being and connection it inspires.

Did you know walking is also the most popular form of activity in New Zealand?

Well, the New Zealanders do have some amazing scenery to enjoy, including snow-capped mountains, magnificent beech forest and fjords.

Let’s tick off some of the benefits group walking provides.

1. Making walking part of your regular routine is a great way to stay fit, especially if the terrain includes some hills. It’s a tick in the box for overall better physical health. Naturally it’s important to start where you’re at in terms of physical fitness. You’re not training for a marathon. It’s about creating the habit of going for a walk on a regular basis.
   This could be,

   A twenty-minute walk at lunch time twice a week.
   A half-hour walk on a Saturday morning at your local park
   A commitment to walking after dinner for 15 mins three times a week

   By starting low, you can build up gradually and safely to work towards meeting the recommended time of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise.

2. Walking has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, type two diabetes, obesity, cognitive decline, certain cancers while strengthening muscles and bones.
   What’s not to love about warding off chronic disease with a simple walk?
3. It gets you outside. Walking in nature has been shown by the research to have a profound physical and psychological effect on our body and mind. Just being in a green or blue space lowers stress. Your blood pressure reduces and your heart rate slows (except when climbing up a steep hill!), you feel calmer, it puts you in a better mood and it can alleviate some of the symptoms of anxiety or depression. It’s the perfect antidote to buffer some of the challenges we face in modern life.
4. Walking is free and low-impact, perfect if your knees are a bit dodgy, but you want to start doing something positive for your health.

Physical exercise is one of six pillars of lifestyle medicine. A lifestyle medicine practitioner may suggest an exercise prescription to assist you in recovery from illness or to boost your overall well-being. There is a wealth of research supporting the benefits of green exercise of which includes walking.

Referrals to structured walking groups are becoming more common as a way to help people to overcome mental health challenges and psychological distress, not to replace psychological or psychiatric interventions or medication but as a powerful adjunct.

If you’re not sure where to start or know where to find a walking group, many small local groups will advertise in community newspapers or online.

Walk with a Doc was started by Dr David Sabgir in 2006 as a way to encourage his patients to walk more. It’s a free, doctor led walk for a local community and usually includes a short health talk prior to taking the walk. The movement has now spread worldwide with many such groups meeting on a regular basis. The bonus being, it’s fun, social, non-threatening (there’s no competition here and you don’t have to wear Lycra™)

Park Run started in the UK and is now widespread across Australia. Run by Volunteers, they meet weekly at the same place, where you are invited to join for a 2km or 5 km run, or walk. Easy as.

Because there are so many local groups, it means that if you are travelling or are interstate, you don’t have to miss out on your weekly Park Run because there’s likely to be a local Park Run group nearby. It’s also supported by the RACGP (just in case you were interested)

Walking. It’s a simple, low-impact activity that helps to ward off chronic disease and promotes longevity and better health.

I’ll see you out on the trail.