If you have a long walk to work...

i think it would be great if you learn to use it sometimes for when you're in a bit more of a rush and/or just to break up the routine slightly. You'll use totaly diferent muscles. A combination of walkign and cycling you'll get really fit!

I walk to work daily and it’s about 40 minutes so not far off what you’d be doing. I pretty much always feel better for having done it.

There is a bus route that starts just under 300 yards from my house and stops just over 300 yards from my work but I still prefer to walk. It’s a ripoff £6 a day for the bus fare so fuck off am I paying that every day if I have an alternative. I could drive but the parking at work is shit and I would genuinely be causing issues for my colleagues when they have no alternative but to drive.

That walk in the mornings and evenings is my decompression time. I can put on music or an audiobook and get fresh air, exercise and time on my own. It’s great!

I did about that length of walk (though got faster the more I did it) until recently when my office moved. I really miss it, it’s a great chance for some down time between work and home, opportunity to listen to podcasts etc. My tips would be get yourself some decent shoes (keep others to change into in the office if needed) and decent waterproofs (including for your bag) for wet weather and reflectives/lights for dark days. There were only ever a handful of occasions when it was too icy to do the walk, and on those occasions the roads were too bad too and so most people ended up working from home. Some colleagues did find it inconceivable that anyone would want to walk for that length of time though so be prepared for bemused comments!

I think this is right - I've walked to work for years and it's been very rare to be caught in torrential rain. Maybe a handful of times?

But I normally get everywhere early, so it's no problem to wait ten minutes for a heavy shower to pass, I'll still be on time.

I have lived in very wet areas of the UK but I can only remember one time in 18 years when I was actually uncomfortably soggy at work.

On the cycling front, I'd say as a leisure cyclist that you'd be much better off walking. That distance on a bike won't really be exercise, especially stopping for lights etc. And you won't save much time with the faff of locking, helmet etc and I find cycling much harder in bad weather, when safety considerations kick in sooner too.

Do you have somewhere to freshen up at work? I’d worry id be a bit stinky all day.

50 mins is pushing it in the dark wet cold of a winter evening - you may need to invest in some decent outdoor trousers
the trick is to not stop - don’t starts to chicken out sone days as then it gets harder and harder whereas if you keep going the health ( physical and mental) benefits will creep up on you

I found cycling more annoying as it meant it was a huge faff to pop to the supermarket en route. For a 30 min walk it actually took longer once I'd faffed around getting the bike out, taking a slightly quieter route through the park and locking up at the other end. You can't hold an umbrella or send messages when cycling either

This. “I’m walking and that’s that”. Most of the time the prospect is worse than the reality even in bad weather.

It is fine if/whilst you are fit and healthy. Or even if things are declining but you have reliable (and costed and tested) alternatives.

I had a problem in that I worked only a 20 min walk from home, but there was no bus service, and taxis would not come out at their most lucrative times of day for a short fare.

Then I had a heart issue I had to take much more time off work than I would have (on SSP) because I simply couldn't walk the 20 min in any less than an hour, and then stand for 2x4hr shifts and walk the now hour home.

I don’t mind it if the weather is bad occasionally. It rarely is. I also have a rains backpack - so properly waterproof. I take my laptop and don’t want to risk water in it

Be prepared - decent shoes, etc - and enjoy the exercise.

Well you will be very soon if you practise.

Why don’t you just ride your bike (or get one if you don’t have one)?

I’d say doable but you’d need somewhere at work to store your stuff as a you may not want to wear your trainers at work and sometimes you’ll be relaying on
waterproofs

is a bike an option?

podcasts will help a lot; and/or music but harder to keep playlists fresh

Yes, this wouldn't bother me at all. I would enjoy it.
You wouldn't have to deal with rush hour! A 50 minute drive on the other hand 😵‍💫

Sounds like a wonderful way of getting physical activity into your day! Absolutely use it as an opportunity. As others have said, make sure you have appropriate outerwear for the elements but otherwise, enjoy!

not long ago I could walk to work for almost an hour or take the tube and a short walk and be there in 15 mins. 90% of the time I walked - it was nice in the morning with coffee and music to get into work headspace instead of being squeezed under someone’s stinky armpit on the tube. On the way back was a nice way to wind down.

I walk half an hour to work

But absolutely if my work was 50 minutes away, I would still walk it

I used to walk three miles to work, in London. It was fine - not sure what you are asking? Only concern would be if it’s winter and dark and parts of the road are not well lit.