Let’s go for for a walk around Slaithwaite, a little village in West Yorkshire, and talk about some of the reasons why walking is good for you, including a few claims you might not have considered; and just in case you didn’t know, May is National Walking Month π€#NationalWalkingMonth
Let’s walk and talk
Apparently walking can help you get over your sweet tooth, and chocolate cravings!
Walking can also reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and reduce bad breath as well as helping relieve anxiety and make you more creative.
Walking restores your soul, great for clearing the mind and tuning you back into nature. I really believe this is necessary for us and medicinal, in so many ways.
Walking brings relatively little risk of injury, and it can be a great way to grab time to yourself or spend quality time with others, while keeping your blood sugar levels in check.
Free your mind, relieve some tension and breath in that clean fresh air.
Not sure what happened to this wall, but be careful if you’re walking in high winds as that could bring down loose stone unexpectedly, even in the big cities. I’ve seen brick walls in London come down during storms like #StormEunice
A good walk does wonders for your heart, it’s a great form of cardiovascular exercise and helps you sleep better. It helps prevent varicose veins and makes your digestive system more efficient.
More specifically, walking in nature improves your brain’s cognitive ability and inspires feelings of gratitude and mindfulness.
It really helps you let go of day to day trivialities and just appreciate simple joys.
“Walking shifts our outlook on life. We no longer see the glass as half empty. We see a world of infinite possibilities where the sky is not the limit” source

Public footpath: squeeze yourself in

Plenty of uphill climbs
You’re helping to keep carbon emissions down by walking more and having fewer vehicles around creates a quieter environment (arguably).
Going out for a walk boosts vitamin D levels, strengthens your bones, fosters happy vibes and better mental health.

I think this car was trying to hide! A modern day Herbie.
Walking doesn’t need to cost anything and you can squeeze it into your normal day. For example, if you need to use public transport, try getting on and off a stop sooner and walk, or park your car somewhere that forces you to include a decent walk.
That said, walking also gives us a really good excuse to find new places to go walking and explore.
Apparently, “not swinging your arms when you walk increases the effort of walking by 12%, the equivalent of walking 20% faster or carrying a 10 kg backpack” source

Sit and soak up the view
As well as improving memory, you get to stretch the legs, get some fresh air and a dose of nature, why wouldn’t you want to?
Just a 10 min walk can help reduce your risk of stroke, especially if you’re in a job where you’re sat down for most of the day.
“Walking on a rough but level outdoor surface requires 50 percent more energy than walking on a paved road” source

Up here there were no other sounds than the sound of the birds, sheep and horses neighing in a nearby stable
SpottedΒ

The Happy Bench

Rhubarb

Any historical connection to Lewisham in London, I wonder?

Antiques shop

Thirsty work
Ending on a slightly wacky note
It would seem there may be people who walk and run backwards and there are alleged benefits to it. This is the first I’m hearing about it. π€¨
Slaithwaite
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little walk around Slaithwaite, it’s a hilly and scenic Yorkshire village, with plenty of nooks, crannies and scenic surrounding areas to keep you walking all day if ever you’re in the region.
A lot of locals call it Slawit (pronounced more like sloughit).
Take care, and enjoy the simple things today!
Jill Morris
Ah my lovely home village. Lots of familiar places here π. Totally agree with the wellbeing aspect of walking.
Rachel McAlpine
What fabulous photos. Thanks for this lovely walk around an area half a world away from me.
Cherryl
You’re welcome Rachel, glad you enjoyed it π
kagould17
Great post Cherryl and so much to see. Walking is a guilty pleasure and we do it as much as possible. Our forest walks are the best. The Japanese call it Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. Allan
Cherryl
Forest bathing, love that – yes I guess that’s a good term as you are fully immersed during those walks β¨ Thanks Allan. π
Marsha
Cherryl, this is such a beautiful post. The colt is adorable. As a life-time walker, I can say that there are risks. I’ve spent a lot of energy picking myself off the uneven surfaces and have messed up my face pretty badly several times, but it’s still my go to exercise and faces do heal. π Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you’ll be back. I enjoyed your post. π
Cherryl
Thank you π glad you enjoyed the post. I’m sorry to hear you have had a few accidents while walking. I guess that’s always a possibility on uneven ground, we can try to be careful β¨π I hope you’re all healed up π€ and have plenty of happy and safe walks in the future ππ«
Your blog posts are a wonderful collection also, beautiful captures Marsha π€
WorldWideWalkies
I love your recounting of the benefits of walking as you took us around beautiful Slawit. My fellow Blackburnian, Alfred Wainwright (am I allowed to mention a Lancastrian in Yorkshire?!) would definitely have approved!
We missed Slaithwaite on our Yorkshire leg last year, but we’re going to have to put it on our bucketlist!
Cherryl
Ha ha, I’ll be doing a couple of Lancaster blog posts soon so feel free π Glad you enjoyed the walk π³π
debscarey
Thanks for sharing your wonderful area for walking. Lots of stuff there that I didn’t know about the benefits of walking (I may steal them π ) I’m not sporty and have never been keen on physical activity, but walking is my bag. A colleague of mine once commented that if I didn’t have my regular lunchtime walks that I became bonkers! She was right, I always found it a great way to work stuff out as I pounded along the pavements. I like pretty mindless walks too π
Cherryl
Thanks for taking this virtual strollπ³ Please do steal them lol, I’ve linked the websites I ‘stole’ some of the walking info from π€ Ha, maybe many are bonkers and don’t realise it – because they don’t walk enough!! Al the more reason to walk more, as a precautionπΆπ½ββοΈMindless walks with no particular place to go, just relaxed and carefree – perfect ππ
Awakening Wonders
Thanks for a great ‘walk about’ through the countryside! Love the bench idea!
Cherryl
Glad you enjoyed the walk. It’s the first time I’ve seen this bench idea, the world probably needs more of these benchesπ«β¨
Awakening Wonders
Indeed!
equinoxio21
Thanks for the walk. One thing I miss here in the big city. Nature is way too far away. (But then we got out tickets to Paris. yeah! there will be a lot of walking…)
Cheers Cherryl
Cherryl
The countryside will wait for you, in the meantime enjoy Paris π€β¨
equinoxio21
Will do. Still a month to go. Have a nice week. (Now the money pox? And the politicos will be all over it…) Tsss.
Liz Dexter
Love this walking tour and photos – thank you!
Cherryl
Thanks Liz, glad you enjoyed π³π
adguru101
What a lovely place for a stroll; thanks for sharing!
Cherryl
You’re welcome, thanks ππΏ
loujen haxm'Yor
Many thanx for sharing these awesome photos and info.
Art
Cherryl
ππ
Sandra Burns ART
Walking is the best! And your photos are amazing. Thanks for sharing Slaithwaite with us.
Cherryl
π You’re welcome π³πΆπ½ββοΈπ
Monkey's Tale
It looks like a great place for a walk, love the countryside and the small town. Beautiful pictures. Maggie
Cherryl
Thanks Maggie πβ¨
pvcann
Delightful feast
Cherryl
ππ
WanderingCanadians
I completely agree about how there are so many benefits to being outdoors and going for a walk. I’m not sure how I’d feel about trying to walk backwards though!!
Cherryl
….yes, the backwards thing sounds a bit strange π€
leo f. brady
Lovely Cherrylynn ! thanks for the stroll and walking info.
Cherryl
Thanks Leo π glad you enjoyed the stroll πβ¨πΆπ½ββοΈ
tidalscribe.com
Thanks for a great walk. When people say I don’t like walking I wonder what they DO. I don’t drive and getting where I need to go is exercise for free. When you go on holiday or out for the day what else would you do but have walk around; probably followed by coffee or pub lunch … and another walk…I like walking pretty much anywhere.
Cherryl
Thanks π I’m with you. What’s not to like about walking? It ticks so many boxes π …and yes, it’s free exercise, no overpriced gym membership or expensive equipment required lolπ
Sheree
Beautiful countryside
Sheila Landry Designs
I am new to your blog and loved taking a stroll with you through your beautiful countryside. I live in beautiful Nova Scotia after growing up in Chicago and love walking. My partner and I go several times a week and one thing about growing up in an urban area – you never get over the awe of a rural countryside. Thank you so much for the beautiful photos. Are they all taken by you? They are stunning!
Cherryl
Hi Sheila, thanks for dropping by, and I’m glad you enjoyed the stroll and the pics ππ Yes all the photos are mine …. spending many years away from the countryside in a big city definitely gives you a new appreciation of more rural surroundings.π³π¦
aparna12
Wow. What a gorgeous post! Very stunning and lovely pictures. Excellent information on the advantages of walking. Keep up the good work πππ. Enjoy your Sunday.
Cherryl
Thank you Aparna, glad you enjoyed them, sounds like walking is a medicine for so many things – best wishes and have a lovely weekend π€π