Walking for fitness and general well-being

ffinnocchio, yes I can walk but am tremendously lazy. Having had polymyalgia for the past 2.5 years, I have sometimes felt tired and not inclined to take exercise. But on holiday or when staying with the family, I can walk with the best of them!

I walk, most mornings, the footpaths around my village. Most involve a brisk walk uphill to the downs that lie directly behind us (and mean we have poor mobile reception).

The last two days I have replaced the walking with two hours hard work each day in the garden pruning bushes and clearing cuttings. I now have three of those cubic metre builders sacks filled up and brimming over waiting to go to the the tip plus a heap of long woody stems from one shrub.

Nonu - that is your choice, but not the choice for everyone. There is a note of criticism in your post, perhaps you didn't mean that.
Some people love solitary walks in deserted area, and good luck to them. We can be run over outside our own homes, be struck by all manner of dreadful diseases and be gone from our lives in the time it takes to blink. Many of my walks, like the one Flick mentions, involved places with poor/no mobile reception.

I think Nonu was talking about herself. It's a risk you take walking alone in a deserted area for all sorts of reasons and one I impersonally would not take. If I was run over outside my house then emergency services are available. But it's up to the individual .... isn't it?

I used to walk with the Ramblers but I found that a) the walks were a bit too long for me (13-17 miles) and b)that they were more of a route march. I prefer to walk at a slower pace and take in my surroundings. I find 6-8 miles comfortable. No disrespect to the Ramblers as several members with whom I walked were in their 70s or 80s and were a great testimony to the benefits of walking.
We are fortunate in that we have Washington Wetlands nearby and this seems like a safe area to walk for those who are doing so alone. There are circular routes too plus a cafe awaiting you at the end - that or a pub is always welcome!
I do find that I am often reluctant to set off on a walk but, once I have actually got started, I feel energised. I usually feel really healthy and invigorated afterwards.

Mamie - yes I remember discussing John Lewis - wish we had branches here.

IAM
it was rather a pity you read criticism into my post , there was none intended. I was merely stating my position on what ^ I would not do ^.
In my book people should do what they want .
What suits one does not always suit another !!

Pamaga A route march was the problem with my local ramblers group. For heavens sake why don't people just stop and admire the country side.

I love to walk in the countryside, especially with DH or a good friend but I also like to go to the gym to work on other muscles too. I don't have a heart rate monitor so at the gym I can do some exercises which get my heart rate well up but not too high! I don't want to do an Andrew Marr which would be very easy. I can also work on my upper body which walking doesn't really do much for.

In essence I think I go to the gym for fitness but walk for pleasure

I can walk the length and breadth of our town, as long as there are shops to go in to. Otherwise I get a bit bored, walking with no purpose.