Is the cure for modern life as simple as going for a walk?

Going for a walk can do you the world of good — Walking does you the world of good.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Your grandmother was right: going for a walk really does do you a power of good.

Just how much, though, is something that we're only just beginning to discover — a point made beautifully by the writer and researcher Annabel Streets, who joins James Fisher on this week's Country Life Podcast.

Annabel's book The Walking Cure has been hugely successful, and she spoke to us on the eve of its paperback publication. It's a hugely intriguing chat, ranging from psychological impact of getting up off the sofa to the very real difference that where you walk can make.

A walk along the sea front brings a completely different feel to a walk through the woods — and scientists are also discovering that a walk through a city, though stressful in terms of dealing with traffic, can be enormously stimulating in an entirely different way, something which new scientific techniques are beginning to show for the first time.

Annabel also talks about her own walking journeys across the world, and how they've changed her. It's a fascinating talk — and the ideal thing to listen to as you get out and about for a walk near where you live.

Annabel's book The Walking Cure is out now in paperback — see more details. Annabel Streets also writes, and posts on Instagram, as Annabel Abbs — you can follow her here.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Mark Hedges

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

James Fisher is the Digital Commissioning Editor of Country Life. He writes about motoring, travel and things that upset him. He lives in London. He wants to publish good stories, so you should email him.

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