5 Winter Walking Tips

There is absolutely no need to let the cold weather stop you from taking those walks that you love, winter walking just means being a little bit more prepared. Some of the most beautiful days can be found in the winter when the sun is glowing low in the bright blue sky, there is a crisp frost and everything looks bright and colourful. Granted days like these are often really, really chilly, but make the right preparations and you’ll enjoy your winter walking just as much as any sun soaked summer stroll.

1.Wear breathable layers

Breathable layers are just about the best clothing to wear during any hike, including chilly winter ones. Although it’s freezing cold, as you walk your body will get warm and produce sweat. If this sweat isn’t drawn away from your body it’s going to sit on your skin and get really, really cold.

Breathable fabrics wick sweat away from your skin, and if you layer up the heat will get trapped between the layers and keep you really toasty.

2.Stay warm when you stop for a break

When you take your much needed water/food/taking in the view stop, make sure to stay warm. Your body will have generated some nice heat for itself whilst you’ve been on the move and you don’t want to lose that precious heat.

An insulated jacket within your backpack is a great addition and you can pop it on for your pit stops to really help retain your body heat.

3.Wear mittens

Mittens aren’t just for looking cute, these fluffy accessories will also keep your hands super snug. With all of your fingers together they can benefit from the heat produced by all four and keep nice and toasty on even the coldest of days spent winter walking.

4.Wear the right footwear

If you’re out for some winter walking be sure to wear the right shoes. You will absolutely need waterproof boots and they need to feel really snug and warm. Its also a good idea to have boots with good grips as the conditions may be snowy or icy. You can also get traction devices to go over your boots which are brilliant if you do anticipate walking in these slippery conditions.

5.Allow 10 mins to warm up

Warming up when you’re going out in the cold to walk is vital since a cold body takes a lot longer to warm up and a few lungs and stretches just won’t be enough.

We’d recommend a ten minute warm up to make sure your heart and other muscles are ready for your winter walking ahead. The aim is to get your core temperature slightly up, which is of course harder on a colder day. Aerobic exercise is key to getting this temperature rise and will guarantee a good warm up ready for your chilly winter walking.

5 Peaceful London Walks

When you think of London you think of a huge, bustling, vibrant city with noise, traffic, people everywhere and anything but peace and quiet. But if you delve deeper into London you will find little pockets of beauty, peace and quiet which are just perfect for getting away from the craziness and taking a London walk. 1.Morden Hall Park

Morden Hall was built in the 1770’s and is now owned by the National Trust. The 125 acre park is home to beautiful, peaceful gardens with many types of birds and over 2000 roses. The river Wandle meanders through the gardens and makes for a stunning London walk. If you have done your London walk and fancy getting crafty then they are running workshops throughout the festive period and if you’ve got little ones they can meet father christmas or browse the christmas goodies in the shop.

2.Little Venice to Camden

This London walk takes you along the canalside from Little Venice to Camden and is surely the prettiest canal walk in London. It’s a two mile route that passes through Regent’s Park and Little Venice before reaching Camden. This is a surprisingly quiet route and you could be fooled into thinking you were in the countryside at times, not central parts of London. On arrival into Camden you’ll notice things get busier (particularly if its a weekend!) and we’d advise a visit to the markets for a refresh, some food and a drink after your a stroll.

3.Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens is London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest and most diverse collection of living plants in the world. For this reason it is absolutely beautiful and a world away from the bustle of London. There is so much to do at Kew aside from  the walks; visit the Hive, an incredible multi-sensory experience designed to highlight the life of bees or the treetop walkway 18 meters above the ground with breathtaking views across the gardens. Christmas also brings delights when the trails are lit with over a million twinkling lights, turning the gardens into a magical wonderland. This is a London walk not to be missed.

4.Inner Temple Garden

The Inner Temple Garden lies within one of the four Inns of Court. This three acre garden is home to wide lawns sweeping towards the river and hosts many rare and unusual trees. This place will astound you, right in the middle of London you will be overwhelmed by the peace and quiet to be found here. It is also home to a variety of wildlife including robins, thrushes, coal-tits and blue-tits. You may even catch a glimpse of a heron by the pond side. This is the perfect place to just come and stroll or even just sit and chill, eat your lunch and gather your thoughts, especially on a lovely summer’s day, but you might have to wait a little while for that!

5.Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath nature reserve is wild and untamed and offers a walking experience within London like no other. There are 30 pond’s on the heath which attract a variety of wildlife. The hidden gem of Hampstead Heath is the open space on the northwest side called the Heath Extension and was originally farmland. Head here and you’ll feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of London. The beautiful thing about the Heath though is that you can sneak glimpses of the whole of London as you look down from your peaceful spot, and that’s really quite special.

London is a magical city for its vibrant feel and buzz that you can’t quite explain, but just occasionally, especially if you live here, you feel the need for some quiet time and these little places of peace are just fabulous locations to go for a London walk.

How to avoid Blisters when Walking

 

Getting blisters when walking has to be the number one annoyance that is sure to completely ruin your walk. Having a blister will put a quick halt to your walk pretty quickly and you out of action until the blister has healed. The best advice when it comes to blisters when walking is prevention, prevention, prevention. Sometimes though these things happen, so how do we go about avoiding blisters when walking?

The first way to keep your feet happy is to choose the right pair of shoes. Go into a variety of walking stores and try on all shapes and sizes until you are perfectly sure that you’ve found the most comfortable pair for your feet. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another so don’t go on recommendation, just go and find out for yourself. Don’t be lured into thinking the old ‘they’ll be great once I’ve broken them in’ - this almost never works. In order for them to be comfortable whilst walking they need to feel comfortable in store right from the get go. Chose a pair with a good sized toe box because toes rubbing into each other and toenails in the picture too can make for the perfect recipe for blister when walking. Also if shoes are too big and sloppy then your feet will move around inside them and make for lots of rubbing and potential blisters.

Now, having said not to rely on ‘breaking them in’ the next piece of advice is actually to break them in. Although they should feel super comfortable in the shop and around the house, when they’ve been on your feet for hours on end during a hike they may tell a different story. So do wear them around the house or out for short walks at any given opportunity to get your feet used to them and them to your feet before you embark on your first big hike. This should set up a good foundation to avoid blisters when walking.

If you look after your feet you can actually toughen them up whilst taking care of them. If you start getting calluses don’t be tempted to file them away, they may not look great but they are a walkers friend since they toughen up the skin making them far less blister prone. You don’t have to ignore them though, moisturising them will help avoid painful cracks which will hinder your walking nearly as much as blisters themselves. Some professional long distance walkers and runners actually toughen up their feet by soaking them in tannic acid or tea soak which toughens up the skin and helps avoid blisters when walking. Lubricating your feet with vaseline is a good idea too, this reduces the friction that results in blisters. Rub it on your feet under your socks and you’ll feel the difference. It’s worth noting though that Vaseline doesn’t easily come out of socks.

During your walk make sure to keep your feet dry. Sweaty or wet feet are far more prone to blisters so if your shoes get very wet then make sure to take them off, and your socks, and air your feet. Keep spare pairs of dry socks in your bag to replace wet ones. Some people swear by using antiperspirant on the feet before walking to keep sweat at bay. If you know you are prone to blisters then you can cover them before you walk. There are all sorts of option of plasters and tape to pop over the spot and make sure you avoid blisters when walking.

Whatever measure you go to to stop blisters there will always be times when you just can’t avoid it, but if you are prepared and do the best you can to stop the little blighters showing up then you will notice a marked difference and will really have much more enjoyable walking experiences.

3 City Walks in Ireland

When you think of going walking in Ireland you immediately think of beautiful uninterrupted countryside, mountains, rivers and lakes, but did you know that there are some really fantastic city walks in Ireland too? These can often be overshadowed by countryside walks which is understandable, the Irish countryside is simply beautiful, but we think you’ll love these three city walks too. 1.Dublin Dublin is a bustling city on Ireland’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Primarily people visit Dublin to check out its array of shops, pubs, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions, but hidden amongst the hustle and bustle you’ll find some fabulous city walks that even the most avid hiker will love. Being a relatively small city you can do some self-guided city walks that will allow you to see some of the major attractions without having to walk for miles and miles. O’Connell Bridge is a great central starting point and did you know it is reported as being the only bridge in the world that is as wide as it is long? From here you are bang in the middle to walk to all parts of the city, with the affluent southside on one side and the once slumsy northside on the other. Check out the O’Connell memorial and the angel crushing a serpent, plus the Irish wolfhound that is complete with bullet holes from the fighting in 1916. The Garden of Rememberance and Moore Street Market are great to visit plus the Ha'penny Bridge, Temple Bar and the Bank of Ireland. Trinity College is a beautiful, impressive building which can then follow along to Grafton Street, St Stephen's Green and Merrion Row. There is a lot to see in the city centre and it depends how much time you’ve allowed as to how far you can go and what you can see, so pick your wishlist and crack on with your city walk.

If you’d like to get away from the hustle and bustle a bit then head down to the docklands where you’ll find stunning modern architecture, historic buildings, art galleries and river trips. If you fancy a little peace and quiet you could head up to the Hellfire Club / Montpelier Loop trail which starts near Montpelier Hill, north of Dublin’s Marlay Park and Edmonston and loops around. At the top are the ruins of Mount Perlier, now known as the Hellfire Club.

2.Galway Galway is a harbour city on Ireland’s west coast sitting where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean and is the second largest city in Ireland. Think festivals, beautiful coastline, independent book stores, pubs, aquariums and museums. Since you’re on foot you could do what many have done before you and take a pub walking tour, you’ll get to see the city whilst enjoying a beer or two in traditional Irish pubs where the log fires are lit and the locals are welcoming. If pub city walks aren’t your thing though we are sure the Salthill walk will be. With one of the most beautiful panoramas in Galway, Irish countryside stretched for miles and sandy beaches at your fingertips you are sure to enjoy this walk. You could also have a horse ride on the beach, play golf or even go diving.

3.Cork Cork is just inland from Ireland’s southwest coast and is centred around the river Lee. This is a university city so is busy and vibrant whilst having Irish countryside on its doorstep. You could easily do a whistle stop tour of the city in 60 to 90 minutes and if you’ve got longer then pick your must-see areas and wander around soaking up the atmosphere. Many people who live here will tell you that Cork holds the real essence of Ireland so take in the culture, chat to locals and enjoy your city walks. Places of interest to visit might include Cork City Goal, the English Markets, Farmgate Cafe perched on a balcony overlooking the markets is a great place to grab a coffee, Cork Opera House, Market Lane and Triskel Arts Centre are to name but a few.

If you fancy exploring the areas that surround Cork then you could try the Tracton Wood Walk. Tracton Wood is a long narrow V shaped wood in a river valley. Walks here are really beautiful but the wood is quite steep in parts so best to bear that in mind. In the lower parts of the wood the pine trees are dense which means this area is often quite dark which can feel like a real adventure, especially for little ones. There are some lovely, relatively flat trails by the river.

Ireland is a country with many faces, from luscious countryside, to beaches and mountains, there is so much to explore but certainly don’t overlook their fabulous cities and the city walks that these offer.

England's beautiful South Coast

We might live on a relatively small island but England’s countryside is definitely varied which is fantastic news for us walkers, as provides us with many different opportunities to find walks that suit our mood. The South Coast of England is a beautiful part of the world ranging from sandy beaches to rocky cliff edges and all in between, which means there are too many stunning walks to cover, so I’ll hand pick some personal favourites.

Ramsgate Let’s start over in the East of the south coast of England in Ramsgate. Walking the Ramsgate, Kent coast is a beautiful experience steeped in over 300 years of history and offering some wonderful natural wildlife and manmade architecture along the way. There are many ways to see this area of the south coast of England, be it along the beaches from Ramsgate to Margate, the cliff top walk from Ramsgate to Broadstairs or the Contra Trail from Ramsgate to Pegwell Bay; all really different walks offering quite different scenery and showcasing different aspects of the area. You’d be best to decide what sort of walk you’re after, sand between your toes, café lined cliff tops or nature reserve walking from the hustle and bustle of Ramsgate through to the natural peace and tranquillity of Pegwell Bay.

Sussex Moving a little West along the south coast of England brings you to beautiful Sussex, and we think you’ll love the Eastbourne to Seaford walk. This is a dramatic cliff walk starting at Eastbourne’s promenade and passing through Beachy Head as the South Downs meets the sea, Cuckemere Haven and Seven Sisters. In the summer months there are opportunities to have a dip in the ocean along the way and during the colder months the coastal views will be more than enough to keep you happy The area is on a well serviced bus route so there is no need to worry about the linear nature of this walk, you will easily find your way back if you’re happy to hop on a bus once your walk is complete. The beauty of this south coast of England walk is the undulating and magnificent cliffs that you will meet along the way. You can’t fail to be in awe, these cliffs are thought to have been formed by glacier meltwater at the end of the last Ice Age which carved steep sided valleys that became eroded by the sea and formed the beautiful cliffs we see today.

Dorset Following the south coast of England to the west we reach Dorset and the breath taking Lulworth Cove area. This is England's first natural world heritage site, and it is said that in 95 miles you can walk through 185 million years of history in just one week. If you don’t have a week, don’t worry! There are plenty of shorter walks that will equally take your breath away. The obvious highlight of this area is the Durdle Door, a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic coastline that can be reached by a walk down to a sand and shingle beach. A short but reasonably steep walk will bring you to Lulworth Cove, a beautiful little village set in a remarkable, almost full circle cove with quaint tea rooms, pubs and a scattering of shops to enjoy. The water is blue and calm here and at low tide there are some wonderful rock pools to explore. The Studland Heath nature reserve is also important to mention and well worth a visit. These dunes and heathland support threatened species such as the nightjar, sand lizard and ladybird spider. Some of the best views of the heath sweeping down to the shores of Poole Harbour are from the Agglestone – a 400 tonne rock sitting up on a hill alone, it’s very dramatic. There is wide range of habit here including sand dunes, bogs and fresh water lagoons. This is a beautiful part of the south coast of England that is not to be missed.

Cornwall Moving west again we reach the undeniably picturesque Cornwall, which offers rugged windswept landscape through to stunning sandy beaches. We love the Porthcurno to St Ives walks in West Cornwall on the landsend peninsula and about as far West as you can get on the South Coast of England. This whole route will take you a few days but can certainly be broken down into small walks, depending what you are after. Porthcurno offers a beautiful, sweeping bay with some of the clearest waters you’ll find in Cornwall and during summer months if you’re lucky you may find seals and basking sharks, a real treat. Along the route you’ll pass through Sennen Cove and on a summers night the open air Minack Theatre is a magical experience. St Ives is treat in itself too, being Cornwall’s most famous town this seaside is seemingly a subtropical oasis where the beaches are golden and beautiful vegetation surrounds.

These walks are just scratching the surface of the striking south coast of England and I could continue to waffle, but the best thing to do is to go along and find out for yourself, you really won’t be disappointed.

Is Walking a Good Form of Exercise?

We all know that if we want to burn calories and look amazing and trim we need to run a million miles a day or jump on an evil spin bike or something equally painful and horrible, but what about walking; is walking a good form of exercise?

Well according to The Stroke Association a brisk 30 minute walk every day will help to prevent and control high blood pressure that can cause strokes, in turn reducing the risk of having one by up to 27%, certainly not to be sniffed at.

Walking is also great for strengthening your heart and reducing the risk of heart disease. Findings from a large health study told that our bodies use the same amount of energy for moderate intensity walking as you do during vigorous intensity running, resulting in similar reduction in risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

So let’s say you want to lose some weight, is walking as good as hitting the gym? Well supposedly all we need to do is walk faster and longer than we currently do to shed some pounds.  A two minute walk to your local shop isn’t going to shred body fat, but a brisk 30-60 minute walk a few times a week will definitely burn calories and get your metabolism going. Walking is a low-impact cardiovascular exercise, metabolism is the process of substances (i.e. food) being broken down and used for energy. So when walking, how much you burn and how fast your metabolism works is down to how fast you walk, for how long, whether you walk up hill and so on. You could certainly use walking as a form of exercise to lose weight though without any doubt, you just need to increase your personal effort so that your metabolism burns those calories.

If you are young and fit and want to push yourself when walking then uphill is a great way to do this. Uphill walking has been proved to increase fat metabolism to keep blood glucose levels high. Less able people may want to be cautious with the hill walks though, heading upwards brings with it worse weather and more chances of accidents happening. If you selected a hill walk setting on a treadmill you’d still achieve the desired results, but let’s face it who really wants to do that when you could be walking outdoors?

An interesting piece of research found that women who walked for nine hours per week experienced an overall lower body fat percentage and an increase metabolic rate. This compares to those who walked for just one hour a week and did not enjoy these benefits. However, one longer five hour brisk walk seemed to achieve the same results and in less time.

We are sold on the fact that walking is a good form of exercise, alongside the health benefits and the weight loss help if that’s your aim, it is also worth noting that walking has been found time and time again to positively boost mental health and help clear your mind.

Time to dig out those walking boots and breathe in some fresh air!

Woodland Walking on the Emerald Isle

Irish forest parks generally have a great emphasis on recreational facilities and most have marked walking trails, cafes, campsites and car parks, so if you feel like a woodland walk then this is a great way to do it. In total, there are twenty forest parks in Ireland so plenty to choose from. We’ve selected a couple of our favourites: Portuma Forest Park, Galway

Portuma Forest Park covers almost 450 hectares. There are four woodland walk trails of varying distances and two mountain bike trails; both are easy rides suitable for all ages that take you along beautiful lake shores and through the woodland. A notable feature of the park is the yew and juniper trees in open woodland along the lake shore. The park has a large population of fallow deer along with pine marten, fox, badger and red squirrel. There is also a big inland colony of cormorants nesting in one of the islands.

Avondale Forest Park, Wicklow

Avondale Forest Park is the birthplace of Irish Forestry. There are three main woodland walks at Avondale; The River Walk is definitely the longest and hardest with steep descents and climbs. Walking alongside the river you pass under two railway bridges and there are stunning river views not to mention the view of Lovers Leap further up the hill. Certainly worth the effort you’ll put in. The Second woodland walk is the Tree Trail where you will meet trees from many corners of the world. Thirdly The Railway Walk which is a linear walk from Rathdrum railway station through the forest to Avondale House. There are also some great leisure cycling routes, orienteering, a children’s playground and a picnic site.

Ards Forest Park, Donegal

Ard’s Forest is certainly one of the most beautiful places you could choose to do a woodland walk. It is 480 hectares and contains a large diversity of plants and wildlife. Ard’s Forest boasts sandy beaches and rivers for those who like to dip their toes and be by the water, plus nature walks, picnic areas and children’s play parks. There are also historical and archaeological interests with in the park including the remains of four ring forts and a number of megalithic tombs. You must also reach the numerous viewing points to see the spectacular views of the surrounding countryside – there is certainly something for all members of the family here. It has a really serene and relaxing feel so if you’re in need of some time out or just fancy a woodland walk in exquisite surroundings then it will be perfect for you.