Walking

Walking can mean a stroll with no destination, a conversation on foot or a journey to somewhere you need to go. You might head out when you feel like it, walk an errand or choose a longer route. People walk to move, clear their heads, spend time together or enjoy their surroundings.

A walk can also be boring, tiring or full of the same thoughts you wanted a break from. Traffic, poor pavements, heat and feeling unsafe may matter more than your enthusiasm for getting out.

By questionnaire

You need a route you can manage and enough time to get there and back. Distance, slopes and places to rest matter more than reaching a step count. You can choose the outing around how you feel and who is coming with you.

Pain, limited mobility and caring responsibilities can make leaving the house difficult. Someone else’s easy route may be demanding for you. Being able to shorten it or stop for a rest matters.

You might turn back because the weather changes, you get bored or you dislike the route. You may stop choosing walks as an outing because you prefer something else. Every walk does not have to make you want another one.

A self-imposed daily streak or step target can turn walking into an obligation you resent. Dropping that target does not stop you taking a stroll another day. Occasional walks count here too.