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Food and Drink whilst walking

Food and Drink whilst walking

If you go out on a long walk, it is important that you make sure that you take adequate provisions with you. Eating the right sorts of foods will keep your energy up whilst you are exercising, whereas drinking enough fluid will help to keep you hydrated whilst you are walking.

If you are planning on walking all day, it is a good idea to take a midday meal with you, but you should also take smaller snacks with you that you can eat whilst you are on the go. Your midday meal should be relatively light, as a heavy meal is likely to increase your risk of suffering from painful cramps once you start walking again.

Carbohydrates

Foods that contain carbohydrates are vital for giving energy. Eating carbohydrate rich foods will allow you to maintain a good pace throughout the day and can help to prevent you from getting exhausted.

If you plan on doing a long walk, you may want to start your day with a slow-release food like porridge, which will help to give you enough energy to keep you going until lunchtime. Sandwiches and wraps with a carbohydrate-rich filling are ideal for lunch, as long as you take them in a small lunchbox to prevent them from getting squashed in your rucksack. Alternatively, pasta salad is a good choice for a lunch that will offer a high calorie, slow-release of energy. In terms of snack foods, flapjacks are a great choice because they are delicious and they are carbohydrate-rich.

Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit is a brilliant choice when you are out walking. Most fruit has a high water content, which means that fruit can help to keep you hydrated during your walk. They are also rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Over the course of a long walk, a wide range of vitamins and minerals are used up by the body as part of essential reactions and processes. These need to be replenished to ensure that the body continues to function properly. They also play an important part in the rest and recovery process, such as the process of helping to heal the muscles and replenish dead cells.

Different fruits have different nutritional values, so you can mix and match when you are choosing what to take on a walk.

Apples and pears are an excellent choice for walkers because they are easy to pack and require no additional onsite preparation. Soft fruit, such as berries and grapes, are a delicious choice but they should always be packed in a hard-sided container to ensure that they do not get crushed or leak out over the contents of your rucksack. Bananas are high in potassium which reduces the chances of developing painful muscle cramps after prolonged periods of exercise. Even though fruit peels, apple cores and any other skins are biodegradable, you must make sure that you take them with you when you finish your walk.

Trail Mix

Trail mix is a great choice for a snack whilst you are out walking. Although pre-prepared trail mix is available to purchase, it can be far more fun to make your own before you leave. Ideally, the trail mix that you create will be a combination of high energy food which provides long-lasting energy rather than a short-term sugar rush. Nuts, seeds and dried fruits are all great choices. For example, sunflower seeds are high in calories to provide you with energy, but they are also packed full of vital nutrients. If you enjoy chocolate, you could add a few chocolate drops or M & Ms to the mix to give yourself an extra little treat.

Emergency Rations

You should always carry a few emergency rations with you, in case you begin to run low on energy. Kendal Mint Cake is a great choice for any rucksack, because it has a long best before date and it is a very high energy product. You only need to eat a small amount to give a high energy output. It is widely praised amongst expedition leaders, including Edmund Hillary, as an ideal emergency ration.

Hydration

Staying hydrated can reduce tiredness, headaches and cramps. Dehydration will reduce the ability of your organs to function effectively and can even be fatal if not treated. Combat dehydration by drinking regularly throughout the walk. Do not wait until you feel thirsty before taking a drink, as thirst is an early symptom of dehydration.

Still water is the best option for rehydration when you are out on a walk. Fizzy drinks are not recommended as they offer poor rehydration and the gas can cause bloating and cramps. Fruit juices can lead to sugar spikes and are not as rehydrating as water. Isotonic drinks and sports drinks can help to replenish vitamins and minerals, but may not hydrate as well as still water.

Why you should join a walking club

Why you should join a walking club

Although many people enjoy the peace and tranquillity of walking alone, walking can be a very social pastime. It is a great way to get fit whilst spending time with friends and family. However, you can also make new friends whilst walking if you decide to join a walking, rambling or hiking club.

There are hundreds of different walking groups across the country, some operating on a formal basis and some on an informal basis. These include local walking clubs and the National Ramblers association.

There are many different reasons why people choose to join a walking club with a few examples below.

Meet new people

Walking club
Walking club

A walking club is a great way to meet new people, especially if you struggle to talk to people in more formal settings. A walking club will put you together with like-minded people, in a setting which allows you to be as conversational as you want. Due to the physical nature of walking it is possible to walk without talking if you would prefer not to chat all of the time.

On the other hand, you are likely to see and do a lot of things on your walk which can inspire conversation if you do want to talk. A wide variety of different people join walking clubs, so you are likely to meet new people from all walks of life.

Try new routes

In order to keep their members interested, walking clubs normally try to come up with impressive new routes for their members to try. This can give you the opportunity to try out interesting new walks that you might never have considered if you were planning your own routes. What is more, walking clubs often arrange walks that are further out of your area than you would normally consider going by yourself. Taking these opportunities will give you the chance to visit areas that you might not have chosen if you were alone. Seeing the area as part of a formally organised route can help to give you a completely different experience.

Clubs will normally have a grading system for their walks, so that members can decide whether routes will be suitable for them. If you are unsure about whether a walk or trip would be right for you, you can speak to the organiser to discuss your concerns.

Bargaining Power

Walking groups are integral in fighting for improved rights for walkers. In the past, rambling groups have mobilised to lobby for the right to roam in certain areas of land. After years of government consultation, these groups were able to win improved access rights for everyone in Britain. Walkers in Scotland have even greater access rights, as long as they are exercising their rights responsibly.

Walking groups are currently fighting to protect national footpath networks, wonderful landscapes and long distance walking groups. If you have any ideas about how walking could be improved as a pastime, you should join a walking club so that your voice has the best chance of being heard at a national level. Formally organised clubs are regularly consulted by national and local government organisations about potential changes which may affect ramblers. Grassroots club members will normally get the opportunity to speak out.

Building skills

Joining a walking club can actually help you to build a wide range of different skills. Some clubs run courses to help members to develop their outdoor skills, including map reading, using a compass and navigating based on nature. Those who are willing to take charge of walks will also be able to develop their leadership skills. Alternatively, members who take on a specific role in the club may be able to develop other transferrable skills which can actually be used outside of walking as a hobby.

Get fit

Walking is a good way to get fit. It strengthens the heart and improves circulation by raising the heart rate to a safe level. Walking also gives people the opportunity to spend time in the fresh air and away from some major air pollutants, like cars and big factories.

If you are wearing well-fitting boots and take the right precautions, rambling will also improve bone and muscle-strength. In general, moderate walking in the UK countryside will not put unnecessary stresses and strains onto the human body, and there are therefore fewer accumulative health risks than those associated with high intensity sports. Being part of a group will help to give some people the additional boost that they need to go for a walk or do a healthy exercise even if they are not feeling completely enthusiastic about working out. The walking group helps to provide a support network that offers assistance and encouragement when needed. Some people are further encouraged to participate if they have had to pay a membership fee to join the club.

Insurance

Many walking clubs are also insured against damage to property, accident injury and financial loss, and may include member to member cover. If you’re in any way concerned about this, for example if you’d like to know can I claim compensation if you suffered a personal injury because a guide or another member was negligent, or you’re property is damaged by another member and you’re unsure what action could be taken you should check with the club beforehand.