Four years ago I started walking to work due to seriously unreliable public transport. Soon after, I was addicted. Not being subject to public transport timetables, getting in some exercise and having some time to clear your head before or after a day at work are a brilliant way to start and end your day, and much better than spending half an hour stuck under a faceless armpit on the train.
If you’re walking for the first time, it’s easier to walk home — it doesn’t matter if you’re sweaty when you get there and you probably don’t have to be there by a particular time.
If you live within seven kilometres of the city, just go straight from work. If you live further out, get off your public transport 5-6 kilometres from home and hoof it the rest of the way.
Pack your bag the night before with some comfortable walking clothes and shoes, sunscreen and your choice of music player/radio. After work, strap on your walking finest, pop on some sunscreen, have a quick stretch and off you go.
Enjoy strolling past the poor sods stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and packed trains, trams and buses. Feel the sun on your face and the breeze in your hair as you glide home on your own horsepower. Embrace the smug satisfaction of simultaneously helping the environment, your waistline and your wallet.
Arrive home refreshed, energised and with a well-earned appetite for your dinner — and hopefully the motivation to do it all again tomorrow.
Hannah,
Walking up to 7 km is not something most people are going to get terribly enthusiastic about. Not many people will be able to spare the more than 2 hours per day this is going to take out of their already busy schedules.
It’s not practical if you have to pick up children after school… it’s not practical if it’s raining hard (not really. No matter how good your umbrella or raincoat, you’ll be drenched and sorry after walking for over an hour and covering 7 km in driving rain). It’s not practical if you have other time commitments, such as study or a second job.
Having said all that, there is a far better alternative…. Ride a bicycle to work.
7 km will take you about an hour and a half (minimum) to walk each way. You can do 7 km on a bicycle in 20 minutes (less once you are properly fit).
You can transport all sorts of things on a bicycle, including children if necessary.
It doesn’t help much with the rain issue…. so take the train on rainy days.
I should add that I applaud your principles and agree wholeheartedly with the list of benefits. It’s just that you are being a bit ambitious suggesting that 6 or 7 km is a reasonable commute on foot. 2 or 3 km would be the absolute limit for most people with time constraints and family obligations. Anything more is the kind of indulgence that few people can afford in the modern world without short changing their families of their time.
Ride a bike instead! They’re the greatest invention ever known to man.
In all fairness I think that it is important to point out if you are going to get serious and consistently ride your bike to work you will need to invest in the right (and often more expensive) bike. I am not talking about those $5000 road bikes but for less than perfect roads, mixed in with a bit of rain and the occasional fall, a hybrid bike is the way to go.
Throw in a couple of pannier bags (so that you do not sweat an extra 6 liters from your back in summer and can carry a bit more) and a sound repair kit, lights and pump and that will set you back about $1000 to $1500.
The other feature is that you it is easier to install a child seat on a hybrid bike (if you are the sort of person that needs to pick up kids, and a pannier bad will be a must if that is the case)
“The other feature is that you it is easier to install a child seat”
The other feature is that it is easier to install a child seat
“pannier bad will be a must if that is the case)”
pannier bag
Just highlighting the dangers of male multitasking
It’s not all about cycling. I agree with Hannah. Terrific idea.
Sorry Captain Planet but time to take you up on some of those points:
it should take just over an hour to walk 6/7k
on a bike this is hardly even a warm up so no real use for fitness
an hour or more at a good walking pace every day is very good fat burning exercise (to do with heart rate)
there is far more to Hannah’s piece than just the exercise eg the time peace and quiet, fresh air etc and there is benefit from making the time out of a busy schedule
Applauding the author’s comments is tad condescending?
the greatest invention know to man is wine, closely followed by beer, closely followed by a rugby ball.
i rest my case. And good work Ms Pick.