to ask if anyone has a LONG walking commute every day

Go for it. It'll do you the world of good. I really miss being able to run/bike to work on a regular basis. I still do plenty of exercise anyway but having an active commute makes it so easy to do a lot without even thinking about it. I always found the fact that I might not be bothered about exercising at the end of the day was good really - you've not got much choice if you want to get home and once I got going it was always fine (well, except the time when I was OK in the morning but virtually dead with flu by hometime. That wasn't fun).

I'm the same! I regularly go to the gym in the evening, it's an 8 minute walk along a lit footpath. I have people telling me I shouldn't be walking it. I can be coming back as early as 6pm - can't fathom driving it

I am trying to walk everywhere as a first option and I am gobsmacked at the response of people when I say Im walking in the dark. I despair of people who think the only way to manage risk is to lock yourself away in a house or a car.

@Lavender14 I agree with what you say about stats – yes assault within the family (and the other examples) is sadly more common bc there is more opportunity. But many people IMHO overrate the risk of some things and then underrate the risk of others. I have seen posters say they would never leave their 12yo at home for an hour in case xyz very improbably thing happened.

My comment about I refuse to stay indoors from 4pm all winter – that was exactly what the PP was suggesting (posts now deleted) when they said it wouldn't be safe to be outside after dark. I mean that's just nonsense as you agree and hopefully they have realised that by now.

When my DD was younger she went to Guides and she liked to walk home by herself (she was early teens) – at 9pm so it was pretty much always dark. I was very keen for her to do this and feel she was safe. Her route home passed many houses of people she knew well. I wanted her to be empowered to do the walk which, while it was not without risk (I mean nothing is without risk) had a risk level which we were both happy with. Some other parents clearly thought I was mad. I don’t think so.

"You have a higher change of being in an accident while travelling in a car or on public transport than you do of being attacked randomly on the street walking home from work."

This depends on lots of factors though - the area, the demographics and socio-economic breakdown of that area, the hours of the commute, how many women are walking home after work in direct and equivalent comparison to how many women are taking public transport or driving (in order to feel safer) and then having accidents. It's a fake 'statistic' if you even want to call it that because its not backed up by anything credible. If the majority of women drive or use public transport or avoid jobs where they can't easily commute without walking in hours deemed 'less safer' then of course you'll be more at risk driving or using public transport because of the increased population doing those things increasing the risk. Its like saying you're more likely to die by driving accident than be eaten by a lion - a lion is very likely to harm you but the majority of people recognise that as a significant potential danger so avoid that particular risk. But will not recognise the risks around dui or using their phone while driving or being distracted by passengers etc etc. Women are more likely to be assaulted, raped or abused by someone they know- but often that's down to convenience and frequency of opportunity as well as control over the situation. Certain locations/ times of night or year etc offer more control to would be offenders than others.

"we really need to stop with the poor weak little woman that cant go out after dark because of all the big bad men. It does no favours for women at all" it's not about portraying women as poor weak or little - that's misogynistic and offensive. It's about holding men accountable for the harms they can and do inflict on women. Until we live in an ideal world where men do not cause so much harm to women in society (and we know statistically that the VAST majority of violent and sexually violent offences are carried out by men) then I think women do need to make choices that make them feel safer.

"There are some on here that would have you believe that women are always unsafe when alone. Thats just not true."

Of course women are not always unsafe when alone. But the decisions we make will always carry some degree of risk and its also fair to say that because of male harm women will be more unsafe when alone. More unsafe again when isolated. More unsafe again when in a badly lit and quiet area. More unsafe again when doing this at the same time on the same day routinely which would allow an offender the opportunity to plan and gain more control. It's a sliding scale of safety and while we shouldn't be walking about in terror, we also can't be naieve and pretend it's not an issue. Especially when (while the risk of occurance might be low) the impact could be severe.

@clary "But I refuse to be cowed into submission and stay at home after 4pm for three months of the year because there are a very few unpleasant people out there. "

Noone anywhere is suggesting this. But we also don't know ops working hours. Would you feel that walking alone at 3am is a 'safe' time for op to be doing her commute. It depends on when and where she's walking.

"I think it also depends on your working hours and how safe your route feels at the times of your commute " was what I said in my post.

I’m two miles from work. I work four days and try to walk twice a week, i have an active job in a A&E ( plenty of steps already) and finish late so i don’t walk home it would take too long when back in worth in 12/13 hours plus tired!!.

I feel soo much better for it, im more awake. See some daylight too which i think is vital. Stick a podcast on and it’s great. I do draw the line at terrible weather.

However im already quite active. We do long walks, i spin and do resistance training and yoga.

I do 30 min walk each way, and prior to that was 45 - 50mins before moved house and job! Main thing is to prepared for weather - have a berghaus waterproof coat, backpack cover and take spare pair of tight and socks in a zip lock so if need to change i can. Also have a pair of shoes kept at work. Nothing worse than having soggy feet all day!

You've just reminded me of how fit I was just from walking to and from work in my London days, without particularly noticing. I remember going away for a weekend with a gymgoing friend in Cornwall when we did a lot of walking, and her noticing that I was aerobically fitter than her.

I also used to do it when I lived in London. About 70 mins walk twice a day.

The only problem was that I got shin splints and had to stop!

So get better walking shoes than I did and build up the distance.

I walked an hour to and from work each day for years and it was fine, and I did it in the dark, in rain and snow! I didn’t have a car and didn’t know any different, so it wasn’t a big deal.

I used to live near Manor House tube station and work in Kings Cross. I usually walked both ways, but obviously I could get there quickly and easily by tube if the weather was really awful or I was exhausted. Google says 3.7 miles and 1 hour 22 minutes, but it definitely took me less time.

I used to walk 6.5 miles each day. Like you it was the only way I could force myself to take regular exercise. I enjoyed it.

Doesn't have a TV either and spends most weekends walking, climbing or similar. In the evenings will read a book or go to the pub and play chess or something. Seems to really enjoy his life to be fair.

I suspect if I added up all the 5-10 mins here and there in the week reading utter crap on my phone I could probably squeeze in a 5 hour walk no problem.

Thats. mental must take up all their free time.

My concern is with the particular route to my office. It really is a narrow pavement, and I've seen buses and lorries mount it more than once when passing each other. During the day I can cut through the adjacent cemetery but they lock it at sunset.
I will happily walk from the station to my house as it's along wide, well lit roads. I'll even do that when getting the last train home.

I'm tempted to try cycling to work - it's 12 miles across central London though so I'm not quite brave enough! At my normal speed it would take me about an hour which is less than the journey on public transport but some of it would be too dangerous for me.

@TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams I used to cycle 30 mins in London too - about six miles into the West End – was quicker than the bus or the Tube (tube was a 12 min walk tbhf). I used to cycle down Ken High Street which I find a scary idea now but I survived.

My employer doesn't offer parking spaces to employees living within the city boundaries. My office is on the outskirts other side of the city. When DC were small we opted for a local to us nursery as the workplace one was further out beyond my office. Walking to and from was the most efficient way to get to work and back as the office is on a different bus route from our local one. I do currently work hybrid but still keep walks in the mix on days when I wfh

Yep. Leaves at 5, starts work at 10. Finishes at 7 and gets the bus 1.5 hours home. 'd be as sceptical as you if it wasn't for the regular nature photos along the way posted on Facebook in the pre dawn.

He used to run ultra marathons but is too old now. Not sure he does it in the depths of winter unless it is going to be dry but cold weather certainly wouldn't stop him. He hates the bus and there isn't a train route near him.

I used to cycle to work in London. 6-7 miles. Took about 30 mins at my top speed but there was a shower in the office. It was great to have the exercise done for the day when you'd get home in the evenings especially with small children but post kids it was impossible to do pick ups from a childminder with a bike and a pram. London is saturated with bike schemes now so it would be easier but we moved away.

I'd actually enjoy that commute but not in the ice, snow or heavy rain. Is bus/driving an option in poorer weather?

My daughter walks about 2.5 miles to work every morning at 5 am because since COVID there are no early buses she can use. Lovely in the summer, not so good in the winter, especially for me, as I get up to drive her if (like today) it is heavy sleet. It does keep her fit, and mostly she enjoys it.

My last job took 20 minutes uphill and with two flights of stairs at either end, not ideal as I'd end up fairly warm at the start of my shift! I did feel better for it though.
Now I drive as according to Google maps it'd take 3 hours to walk to my current place and I'm on my feet all day.
Would like to move closer though as it's in a nicer town and also a lot flatter than where I live currently I'd definitely walk then.