Like so many women, it’s taken years for me to find a fitness regime that works. Pre-Covid, that meant doing a combination of pole dancing (which I love for its feminist and mutually supportive ethos), swimming and working with a body-positive personal trainer at the gym. Then lockdown happened and all of those options disappeared for well over a year.

Working from home compounded the feeling of being stuck. I was static all day with no outlet. I tried a few home workout programmes, but none of them stuck. Serious fitness enthusiasts might swear by high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but it made me feel like I was going to die. So, I decided to go back to basics. 

I plugged in my long-neglected Fitbit and decided to focus on just getting 10,000 steps in each day. I experimented with a few different strategies and found that taking a 60-90 minute walk (which usually amounts to around 8,000 steps) first thing in the morning before breakfast works best for me.

And while that regime change coincided with a few other health tweaks, the benefits of my long walk each morning go far beyond numbers on the scale. Here are just some of the positive outcomes I’ve enjoyed:

Increased focus and creativity

Who hasn’t zoned out at their desk after their morning meeting or during the 3pm slump? Prior to taking up walking, I found it difficult to stick to a morning routine that would get me into a focused state for work. Getting fresh air and exercise first thing, however, has completely transformed that. Instead of being tempted to mindlessly scroll social media for an hour, I’m now ready to get to my desk and dive right into work.

According to business psychologist Jan P. de Jonge, another benefit of walking is that it can provide a boost of creativity. This is supported by research from Stanford University which found that walking promotes the “free flow of ideas“.

“Walking helps you create new ideas,” de Jonge says. “The advice is clear: to walk is to take steps in a beneficial direction.” As a professional writer, I often have my best ideas when I’m out for my morning walk. 

Lower stress and anxiety levels

Chloe Clark, sports massage therapist and personal trainer tells Stylist that she encourages her clients to walk each day, preferably in a green space. She’s especially passionate about absorbing the benefits of the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”. 

“It’s about absorbing the greenery and getting away from the road,” she explains. “There’s something about the stillness of nature that helps you feel better.” 

I’ve certainly noticed that my stress levels have lowered and I’ve been better able to cope with anxiety since I started my morning walking routine. 

More motivation to do other types of exercise

The increased energy, strength and stamina from my daily walk has made doing other forms of exercise easier. 

“The more you move, the more you have the energy to move,” Clark says. “Your body is very clever at evolving to its circumstances.”

She also recommends walking as a supplemental activity for people who do other forms of exercise. “If you’ve got delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a heavy workout like lifting, a HIIT class or a run, walking can be a really good way to get the blood and oxygen back into the muscles,” she says. 

Reduced dependency on caffeine

I love my coffee and often joke that I will give it up when someone pries it from my cold, dead hands. But it is possible, as the saying goes, to have too much of a good thing. I realised that my caffeine habit was straying into problematic territory when I found myself drinking up to eight cups a day.

I still enjoy two or three cups most days, but getting more of my energy from movement and being outside feels much healthier than relying on the artificial jolt of alertness from a double espresso. Increasing my movement has also improved my sleep, which no doubt has had a tremendous impact on my overall energy levels.

More chances to catch up on media I enjoy

Clark recommends walking without distractions. Alrhough I can absolutely see her argument, I’m not there yet. In fact, listening to an audiobook or podcast while I walk has made it into something I look forward to doing.

My partner works on a different schedule and wakes up later than me, so my morning walk is something that I do alone. Having an hour or so in the day that is just for me, where I can listen to whatever I feel like listening to, has been a great addition to my self-care routine. 

If you’ve ever Googled “What is the best workout programme?” then you’ll be aware of the myriad of information that is out there – some good, some bad and some directly contradictory. How are any of us supposed to know what we should be doing?

Experimenting and finding the right exercise regime for me has reminded me of something we should all know but often forget: fitness is not a one-size-fits-all game. Our bodies, minds, schedules, lifestyles and goals are all different.

The best exercise programme? The one you’ll stick to – and that usually means the one that you enjoy the most. I’ll certainly carry on walking in the mornings, whatever other changes may occur.

Want to spark your own walking habit? Bring your friends and join us for a scenic half-marathon hike at the Strong Women Trek in Surrey Hills on Saturday 20 July. It’s the perfect way to tick off a mini-milestone in 2024 while enjoying a day of walking, fresh air and fun. Book your place here.

Images: Getty/Jess Dixon