Sick of going for walks

[User158340]

Anyone else having to really drag themselves to go out at the moment?

I actually love going for a walk, but after 9 months of the same local walks i'm sick to death of them. The freezing cold weather obviously compounds it and the rain etc.

Yesterday I actually didn't leave the house at all and ended up awake half the night. Now I have to motivate myself to go for a longish walk today in 'feels like' minus temperatures.

@rc22

DH and I aren't big pub goers but usually on one of the days between Christmas and New Year we have a pub lunch followed by a bit of a drinking session. I would probably meet some girlfriends for a couple of cocktails one day too. DH and I were planning our walk for today and I very grumpily thought, "But I don't want a walk I want to go to the pub!!" I've always enjoyed walking but now that it feels like the only leisure activity on offer outside home it does seem a bit dull!!!

I think that's it with me as well this week. I'm off work between Christmas and new year and that's when I usually catch up with friends and go to the pub or out for something to eat and go and visit family etc. That's all off limits and the motivation to go for a walk just isn't there in this cold and wet weather.

I've been wfh and at the end of my shift is when I normally go out for a walk and at that point i'm glad to get out the house for a bit to get out of work mode.

I sometimes don't leave the house for up to a week. Sick of bloody walks. I want to go swimming! I've out over a stone on now.

Does anyone know how you can count the miles in a week/ year? I have a Fitbit but can't see it on there and I know this would really motivate
Me.I walk the dog daily and love a walk but am getting tired of the mud

I’ve always liked walking but drive somewhere interesting to do it.
Since lockdown I’ve stayed local and found some lovely places right on my doorstep.
Car stays clean plus I save petrol. Also I’m chatting with neighbours more which is nice.
I would never have gone out in the rain before but now I love walking in the rain

@BigSandyBalls2015

I used to love a long walk that ended with a drink in a cosy pub by a log fire ... it just isn't the same without that.

Yes, that's the other thing. I like to plan a walk with a nice pub at the end of it and a halfway house for a drink or maybe something to eat.

It's not the same when the 'halfway house' is the end destination before you walk all the way back home again.

Ages ago, definitely pre-Covid, Greg James had an unpopular opinion on his show that went along the lines of “Going for a walk is showing off”. And frankly I couldn’t agree more. Pointless walks (those without an errand or a stop at a nice cafe or pub) are absolutely my idea of hell.

I don’t mind going for a run (but can’t do that every day) but going for a walk. The same 5 or 6 walks. Is. Fucking. Miserable.

We’ve been in the equivalent of Tier 3 for months so not even being able to stop for a cake without sitting on a soggy bench is compounding it.

Stay in stay warm do a few 5 minute YouTube exercise videos throughout the day.
Life is very boring at the moment.

[quote tappitytaptap]@Clockstop who thought we’d ever miss soft play eh? Speaking here with a 2 year old. My 4 year old is generally ok at walking in the right direction - 2 year old not so much!![/quote]
I've never been one to hate soft play. I loved it! My youngest has never been but he's so physical he'd love it, it's a shame.

can you drive somewhere and walk?
do you have fields?
wellies?

Utterly bored with it by now. We tried to go somewhere slightly different yesterday, but it was rammed, so ended up in the same place as the day before... in the cold, with about 100 others trying to do the same.

footpath sounds good @Thunderpunt

@balzamico

Does anyone know how you can count the miles in a week/ year? I have a Fitbit but can't see it on there and I know this would really motivate Me.I walk the dog daily and love a walk but am getting tired of the mud

You can download a pedometer app, tells you steps and miles per day, week, month and year

Get out for a bit. It’s like eating healthy food or going to bed early. Not something that’s exciting to do but you know how it positively affects your mental and physical health.
I try to find new places to go and often suggest going with a friend. With the kids, I promise them it won’t be too long and once they’re out, they don’t seem to mind.
Snacks and hot chocolate is always good too.

Ages ago, definitely pre-Covid, Greg James had an unpopular opinion on his show that went along the lines of “Going for a walk is showing off”.

Showing off to whom though? Many of us who like going for a walk would ideally meet no or few people. (actually I quite like saying hello and seeing other people's dogs).

Or showing off what? Lots of goretex and no concern for style.

I'm also a dog walker, upside has been that as we're based in a rural area I've had legitimate reasons to travel around to scoop up my charges... downside has been that this is an ANOB that's far too close to major cities for its own good and as many previous posters have said, there are far more people around than usual. There's plenty of room, but the narrower and non gravelled paths are getting pretty foul, and while most people treat the place with respect, there is definitely more litter, more trespassing (usually from ignorance and incomprehension of 'the right to roam') and far too many gates etc getting blocked by inconsiderate parking.

OP geo-caching or an audio book both sound like good ideas to help you get out. Or cycling, just so you can be somewhere a bit further afield with new views to look at?

I’m slowly going crackers with walking around our village. There’s no where else to really walk to that I can easily manage and I struggle with “outdoors” generally. However, as we are in a tier 2 I’ve tried to do it where I walk past the shop/pub/chippie and get a bar of chocolate/a cuppa/lunch at the same time. However more often than not our “family walks” turn into massive heart attack inducing “too close to the road” situations with my 3 year old and “don’t climb that bloody tree you’ll rip your x, oh look now it’s ripped” with my 6 year old. Plus repeatedly screaming “look where your going” when they’re on their bikes...it’s hell.

*ANOB should have been AONB. Something slightly Freudian there!

There is an app called AllTrails which is good for finding local walks. we found a few very local to us that we had no idea about - and a few that were a short drive away.

Also there is a company called Conqueror Virtual Challenges, where you can "virtually" complete walks such as the Camino de Santiago, Inca Trail, Lands End to JOG, Route 66 - they send you virual postcards of where you are and a medal at the end. Might make some walks, runs or cycles a bit more purposeful?

Also for anyone worried about using headphones when walking or running alone, take a look at bone conducting headphones. They are great - you can hear your audiobook or music but also what's going on around you so much safer.

@ILiveInSalemsLot

Get out for a bit. It’s like eating healthy food or going to bed early. Not something that’s exciting to do but you know how it positively affects your mental and physical health. I try to find new places to go and often suggest going with a friend. With the kids, I promise them it won’t be too long and once they’re out, they don’t seem to mind. Snacks and hot chocolate is always good too.

I found (back in April / May) that going for a pointless walk around a housing estate, with no destination except home again, made me feel worse than just staying in. And in the end I didn’t bother leaving the house.

So now we drive to somewhere to walk. Churches, churchyards, ruins, that kind of place. Hardly anyone there and a least it feels like a destination.

Honestly the gov.uk guidance is much more flexible than just being restricted to walking from your front door.

You're right. it's repetitive and boring and our 3 teens are fed up after a year of this.

I'm the same!!! Fortunately DDog is happy to walk anywhere but I feel like I know every inch of everywhere.

To add insult to injury I can't drive at the moment so options are seriously limited

At least DDog refuses to walk in the rain 😂

I'm so bored of walking. My toddler is also so slow, it's no fun at all. We're just hunkering down at home now with lots of tv, can't be bothered with anything else.

I used to love walks, but since lockdown I've realised just how rubbish our immediate (town centre) area really is.

I realise now that I always used to drive for nice places to walk, real beauty spots, whereas the only thing I can do straight out of my front door is walk round grotty streets. Not amazing. But I drove for ONE nice walk over the summer, and it was packed that I just thought no, this is ridiculous, and turned round again.

I bought a pocket sized DAB Pure radio at Easter and listen to it when walking the dog. I am glad I have him as he is good company for me but also makes me walk - I do run and do zoom exercise classes at home too. Xmas Day was lovely and sunny but these grey days especially when raining yes it is hard and I cba to try and meet one other person to walk with I just put on my radio and go. I try and do my main walk at lunchtime for an hour and then 20 - 30 mins at breakfast and teatime but yes it is boring as been doing this since 23rd March albeit with a couple of months of "freedom" in summer.

I study OS maps (pathfinder?) to find routes & have done for 10+ years. Basically have walked out everywhere from my doorstep (and still do often). Just now coaxing a friend out for a walk today, begging that we can go somewhere a mahoosive 5 mile drive away.