How far do you walk?

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I've been deeply shocked at some of the expectations on threads recently, that a child can't manage a couple of miles to school, etc, when in my day we all did it, without exception.

I do think that younger generations are incredibly out of the habit of walking, and missing out on so many benefits, social, physical health, mental health, enjoyment, being in touch with your environment, etc. Walking home together was a daily social event at my school, we walked around 3 miles home from primary, and maybe 3.5 miles from secondary.

My own children went to a school 4 miles away, and there was a bus, but they mostly preferred to walk, and are all fit, healthy young adults now who regularly do sport, as in team games a couple of times a week ( in their mid/late 20s)

I walked 7 miles to school during the pandemic, as our school didn't want staff on public transport, and we all had to sign to agree the policy to avoid public transport as far as was reasonable - this was not a problem, I enjoyed it

I have cancer now, and cant do as much, but still enjoy walking the 7 miles home at least once a week, instead of getting the bus - highly recommended by oncologist

A week or two ago at school I witnessed a school boy being challenged on his lateness, and he had a complete temper tantrum at the suggestion that he could walk to his train station while his usual bus was on diversion. It was less than a mile and a half, he was totally outraged at the suggestion.

AIBU to say that walking regularly is life enhancing, and the current generation are really missing out, and it is a habit that needs to be built up, and encouraged, rather than avoided?

For many families where I live walking to school would need you to walk a few miles along a busy B road with no pavements. Not all that far but not safe even for adults. Another reason why people drive.

Precisely!
I have always walked (or cycled when younger), my DCs walked 2 miles each way to primary school, my DGCs are also keen walkers thinking nothing of walking 6 or 7 miles each day at at weekends as well as a 3 mile round trip to school.
Nowadays I am limited in how far I can walk but still go out most days for at least an hour, often longer, with the dog.
I would hate to not be able to get outside and walk.

Agree. I think very few people would have 4 hours spare to walk while working ft. I run regularly and frequently do a 10 mile (sometimes more ) run at weekends. I wouldn't contemplate walking 14 miles a day on a regular basis (through choice)
As I said previously there's a whole range of fitness between driving a few hundred metres because you're don't want to walk, and walking 14 miles a day.

If you can't drive, you make different choices.

Simple fact: DD2 couldn't play rugby if I couldn't drive. Public transport can't get her to her home club, let alone away games. But, we probably wouldn't live here if we couldn't drive...

Neither of my parents can drive but we lived in London so it really wasn't necessary. We can't live in London due to DHs work.

Absolutely. But this is why I'm surprised at the assumption that non-driver = healthier. Ime it usually equals poorer and more unhealthy.

There are a range of activities around us that are only really practical for children whose parents drive. The activities which are easily accessed by non-drivers are a much smaller range and those parents are often too tired or have other life stresses or commitments which mean their children don't get to do these things.

@Goldbar l agree to some degree but if I didn't have to walk I would be an absolute couch potato. Not everyone is into sport and fitness, I never have been. For some kids who don't want to charge up and down a field after a ball, or run for fun, if they don't walk they pretty much aren't getting exercise.
You are correct for sporty people. For those of us who aren't, having to walk aids our fitness in a practical way.

walking certainly helps with fitness, that is not under any serious dispute! Children who walk are more fit than children who don't, even if driven children are getting driven to sport - sport is only a certain numebr of hours, whereas walking is a lifestyle

We don't walk very much day to day tbh, primary school was 5 miles away sadly, but mine have always managed to walk long distances, it's the people who insist on buying or borrowing strollers for the likes of Disney for kids 4+ I just don't get it, some for kids over 7, no additional needs! Our youngest was 4 when we went and he did 30,000 steps one day, we were in DISNEY he was fine!

I think in the future, fewer people will drive, so the roads will be a lot less busy

I didn't drive until I was thirty and until I had lessons, I honestly never thought life was stressful or difficult without a car. I just walked or got the bus, or occasionally a taxi.

But when I passed my test my life changed almost overnight. I suddenly had much more time because I wasn't spending hours a week waiting for public transport or walking myself everywhere. I also had more energy because I didn't need to get up as early and I wasn't getting home so late.

In fact, I'm actually more active now that I have a car because I can get myself to many more places and do more things. Public transport in my area is incredibly limited and there isn't always a safe walking route, so if you don't drive, you just can't get there.

Even if they're less busy, would you really walk a four year old for several miles along an NSL road without a pavement? I very much doubt it.

sport is only a certain numebr of hours, whereas walking is a lifestyle

Surely that depends on how far and fast you're walking, though? I have quite a few family members who don't drive and I wouldn't describe any of them as fit. On the contrary, they have very sedentary lives and are considerably overweight (by their own admission).

Yes, they have to walk places but all that does is restrict their lifestyle not enhance it.

Depends on location and route. The road between our village and the nearest town is only a couple of miles but the road is a narrow, winding, national speed limit road through countryside without pavements, used by lots of lorries, etc. Now way would we walk alongside that!

But we can easily walk 5-10 miles when there are proper/safe footpaths, pavements, bridleways, etc.

Yeah, right... I'm all for walking and we tend to walk everywhere (shops, park, train stration all within 20-45min), but I'm calling BS on all those "I walk 6 miles to work" or "4 miles" to the shops comments.
Unless you're retired, no kids, and working part time, no one has time to walk 1h each way to the shops or 2h each way to work. Add young-ish kids to the mix for a commute to school and you double that time.
Fine to do from time to time but that can't be a daily thing.

I walk a lot. I love it & it helps keep me fit & a healthy weight. It’s ridiculous how much some people use their cars. Being sedentary is so dangerous for health.

@Goldbar again, though, that's assuming that your kids are into sporty activities. I wasn't remotely. I am still not. It's not about my bank balance, it just isn't something I enjoy. I agree that having to walk everywhere doesn't make me fitter than someone who goes out and does sport or the gym, but it makes me fitter than someone who has a car but doesn't do any sport. Believe it or not, there are people who don't want to spend their spare time running/pumping iron or whatever. Many of them also have cars. If those people would rather drive 100 yards down the road than walk, which some undoubtedly do, it stands to reason that if they didn't have a car, they would a least be a little bit fitter. I know I am.
As for kids, as I said, I wasn't sporty, but played out a lot (joys of a rural childhood) and just the fact that we had to walk to the swings, or to the hedge we made a den in ensured most of us weren't hopelessly unfit. In a way, I think it is sad that, even for rural kids these days, it's necessary for them to have to drive to specific activities to keep fit. We achieved all that by dint of having the freedom to play outside all day. These days you have to hope your kid wants to do sport in their spare time, or force them to do it, or yes, they will be unfit. It's sad, really.

People in my family who don't drive are not fit at all, they rarely go anywhere unless it's on the bus to the shops. If they walked that distance briskly they would be fit but they don't.
They may not be any better if they did have cars though - maybe worse, who knows

YANBU in thinking people should walk, but in practice we’re one of those people you’d roll your eyes at - it’s all time related.

I’m nearly always going on somewhere else after the school run - work or a time limited thing like seeing ill relatives or getting to clubs, so I drive. It’s five minutes in the car to school or 20-30 minute walk (as DC will faff around a bit perfectly reasonably on a walk). Plus I’d then have to walk back to get car so that’s roughly an hour of my day gone, or two hours for there and back.

There are days when we honestly could walk and it’d be lovely but because it’s not a routine we then get lots of moans about walking so it’s a bit of a vicious cycle.

Well, exactly.

Lazy people are lazy regardless of whether they drive or not. But lots of people who drive aren't lazy, just time-poor and use their cars to enable them to work, or to do more interesting activities than just walking the school run or to the shops everyday.

As a non driver I'm not limited at all and probably go to way more places than those I know who do drive. We don't all live in the middle of nowhere and can only get to the shops. Trains exist.

I'm definitely not poorer than my driving friends. I don't have to pay hundreds every year for insurance, MOT and petrol!

Well as you say, location is key.

Where I am, you'd be incredibly limited without a car as you'd be reliant on public transport to do pretty much anything that isn't going to Tesco, a few local shops or the Post Office.

The nearest cinema, swimming pool, shopping centre, bowling alley, McDonald's (etc) are all at least 25 miles away. Without a car you're limited to trains (there's no bus service) and they're unreliable at best - there's normally several cancellations a day.

There are loads of things I'd never be able to do without a car. On a personal level, it's enriched my life massively. It's also much cheaper than relying on public transport on a daily basis.

Definitely, location is key. I think as a non driver you have to live somewhere with good public transport to live a full life. Luckily I've no desire to live anywhere without plenty of stuff on my doorstep. I live a 5 minute walk from my local town centre, we have bars, coffee shops, restaurants, Tesco, Asda, Aldi, McDonalds, clothes shops, a leisure centre, gyms, doctors, dentist etc. And 2 cities nearby for better shopping and things to do.

Cost wise I guess that all depends on personal circumstances too. Having a car would cost me far more than not having one. I work from home 3 days a week so I don't need to use transport on those days. The other 2 days it's £2 each way on the bus to the city centre for work, so my weekly commute is £8 total. DS school is walking distance from home. Then we just need to spend money for transport on weekends if we want to do something.

had a 5.45 km dog walk today, in the glorious sunshine.
that is my ideal

I (try to) do a one hour lunchtime walk three times a week, plus some incidental walking, but that's on top of spending a fair amount of time doing another sport rather than the only exercise I get.