Boot Up: How to find a walk near you

For most, walking is one of the easiest outdoor activities as it requires little preparation – you simply just step outside. But how many times have you found yourself following the same paths or sticking to your usual route?

Discovering somewhere new has many benefits; it’ll increase your motivation to get out, add excitement to your walk and you’ll return home with a new level of satisfaction and appreciation for what’s around you. Here are some tips to help you find a new walk near you.

If you don’t have time to plan your own, why not do a walk someone else has recommended? Apps like Komoot & All Trails have hundreds of thousands of walking routes across the UK. You can filter by difficulty, distance and rating. Joining a local group or club will also help expand your knowledge of where to go and you’ll be less likely to talk yourself out of exercising if others are depending on you. For example you can join an ACAI Outdoorsing Club event which are free hiking events for women up and down the country.

Whether you look online, use an app or have a paper map, you’ll be surprised at how many paths and walkways there are across the UK. Even in urban areas, there are many public rights of way, some you may not have known were there. Start by opening a map of your local area and finding a path you’ve never ventured down. Public rights of way such as footpaths and bridleways are shown on an OS Map by a green dotted line. See if you can join two or even three together to create a route. In built-up areas you may need to use pavements or alleyways to join off-road paths together. A map will also highlight green and blue spaces around you. Woodland, fields, lakes and rivers are great places to go for a stroll.