to ask if anyone has a LONG walking commute every day

[Consideringparttime]

Right, I just cannot embed exercise at the gym or swimming in my normal day to day life.
It's a combination of very stressful job, not enough headspace etc etc

I absolutely love walking though- I recently read an article that said Martin Lewis walks 25k steps a day and he builds it in to his meetings etc

I'm interested in this - my walk to work would be between 50-60 minutes per day
(and then again at the end of the day)

What do you think?

I know people will say will I want to do it at the end of the day? And to me, that seems easier than then getting in the car, going to the gym, getting changed, blah blah blah. I'm also interested in getting that amount of fresh air/ outside time- am i being stupid?

I used to do what Google reckoned was a 36 minute walk to and from work each day. By the time I had been doing it for a year or so I had got it down to 27 minutes and I really enjoyed it. Worth allowing for the cost of walking trainers but it was really great from the POV of fitting in exercise, and switching from home mode to work mode and back again.

I used to do it absolutely no matter the weather because I knew if I started driving occasionally it would be a slippery slope for me. I had a really good waterproof coat and used to take a spare pair of bottoms to change into at work as well as keeping smart shoes at work so I didn't have to schlep them back and forth each day.

I used to walk through a relatively rough part of town - I wouldn't do it on my own on foot at 9-10pm once people have started drinking (I would cycle in those circumstances) but at 5-6pm it was fine even when it was dark.

I used to get the DLR and two buses on my way into work and then walk back home which was about 1.5 hours. It meant that if the weather was terrible I had a back up option and also that I didn't have to leave the house extra early at the start of the day (I am not an early bird) to get into work at my usual time. Worked very well for me - about 10,000 steps one way - sometimes on the way in if the commute was smooth I would walk the last stretch and not take the second bus.

I walk to and from work every day, 20 minutes each way.

Then I walk the dog in the evening for an hour or so.

I would do it. I absolutely love walking to and from work. I don't do any other exercise.

I would do it. It's really good for you physically and I love the lack of stress about traffic and parking.

I walk to work about once a week. It’s 40 mins each way and goes very fast unless it’s really raining

I walk maybe three times a week as I don't like to walk in bad weather - can't be doing with turning up looking like a drowned rat. 30 minutes each way.

I used to do this before I started working from home. It was my rule that I would always avoid taking the tube or bus unless there were weather warnings for rain or snow in place.

Try it OP, it's seriously good for you, doing lots of walking Vs e.g. running or the gym. The problem is, most people can't spend enough hours a week to do enough but making it your commute is the way to go. My old job was 50-60, now I'm 40-45min each way and yes, I do it even in the dark

TBH its probably a decent commute.

Back in the day I was a 15min walk to station 30min on train, 10min to work and the same in reverse.
My BMI was 23 without trying, lunch was a sandwich, choclate / crisps and full-fat coke!

You won't be long in getting fit.

my commute is about 3.5km (just over 2 miles) each way (but hilly!) and I don't mind it but I rarely walk both ways. It takes 40minute or so but if I walk there I shower and change at work so that means carrying clothes, plus lunch and laptop etc. I guess if that was my only form of exercise it would be feasible but I also want do other things so might get the bus home and go to the gym!

I think it’s fine as long as you have a back up plan in place for torrential weather or when you’re not feeling great.

Come rain or shine, although not for work I would go out for a long walk.
It cleared my mind has many benifits and is a good weight bearing excercise.

I used to walk from Liverpool St Station to Green Park station daily for four months for health reasons. It took about 90 minutes and I felt energised by the time I arrived at the office. I listened to Danny Baker’s breakfast show on BBC London for the entirety of the show (0600-0900) and was thoroughly entertained every day. On the way home I walked back to Holborn station to get the central line to Liverpool St Station

I probably walked 16,000 to 20,000 steps per day, depending on the route

What kind of nonsense question is this? What does it matter if it's dark? Or she's by herself?

I used to walk about 35 minutes each way along the canal to work 3 days a week.

Absolutely loved it in the summer but less so in wet and dark or if icy. I did have the option to take the bus instead and sometimes I would do that so it’s good to have a bail out option.

Then my commute got longer and I got an e-bike through cycle to work scheme.

I used to walk 45 mins each way when I lived and worked in Central London. I loved it, so much to see, and so many characters, plus the Tate Modern was on my route so I'd pop in there for a nose sometimes, I felt incredibly lucky to have that walk.
I carried on until I was 7/8 months pregnant until I started almost fainting a couple of times, and my family and midwife told me off for walking 'so far' 🙄 but fair enough. I found the bus hot, uncomfortable, stressful and hardly any quicker so got it on the way home only.

Anyway tmi there. I'd say definitely do it especially if you can make the route interesting, varied or have nice scenery. You can also listen to podcasts and music to make the time go quicker. I'd say November and January are the worse months due to the light and weather (December has Xmas, so there's all the pretty lights). If you can get through those months hopefully it'll become a lovely energising routine for you.

What’s the route? In the winter in the pouring rain I would want decent shoes and a decent coat

Why not?

Why is the dark unsafe?

Quite. It's probably 5pm. The shops are still open! There will be millions of women walking around after 4pm in December...

It's a great idea OP. I would do it but my route to work includes a couple of miles of dual carriageway and there isn't a footpath. I run before work instead!

I’d do it! My commute in the car is 50mins each way and I’d much prefer to be walking in that time than sat in the car!

I did do this for a while, and I enjoyed it. About 3 miles, taken at a leisurely pace so I didn't arrive very sweaty, took me about 50 minutes. It became impractical due to childcare, otherwise I would have continued.

I think there is a difference between walking in the dark during rush hour and walking in the dark at 11pm with less people around.

One thing I would say about walking in the dark is to make sure you can be seen.

It worries me seeing people in black coats that are barely noticable. I used to pass a man with a black dog, the dog had a light up flashy collar. He was obvuously concerned about the dog being seen no concern about himself being seen. The dogs collar was the only noticeable thing about them.

Do you never walk anywhere unchaperoned after 4pm in winter? Everyone else does!

I walked 50 minutes to work and 50 minutes back every day for 8 years!! I moved house so not anymore but I really, really, really miss it.

I cannot explain how much i loved it and how much I miss it!

I took a cab ocasionally if I worked a particularly long day and it was past midnight.