Walking Solo or With Company? 3 Benefits of Each and Why You Should Try Both!

Walking has many benefits and a lot of these benefits are the same regardless of whether you are on your own or with other people (think exercise, fresh air etc.) However, walking on your own or with other people are two very different experiences and both can give benefits that the other doesn’t. I absolutely love both and like to get a mix.

Here are my 3 top benefits of each and why I believe it is great to do both!

Solo walking 1: Connecting with nature

One of the things that I, and I’m sure many of you, love about walking is being in the great outdoors and experiencing nature.

This is way more amplified when walking solo compared to with company. You take things in more, your senses are heightened, and your surroundings get a lot more of your attention. I’ve heard it put as walking companions act as a barrier between you and nature. If you are with somebody you are conscious of them all the time, and are engaging with them in various ways, taking up your attention and senses. Walking solo removes this barrier and you feel more absorbed into the landscape around you.

Tip: Scrap the headphones. I’ve come across many people that use headphones for music when walking solo, perhaps because of being uncomfortable with the silence. Each to their own of course, but I believe if you truly want to get that connection with nature and the landscape then it’s optimal to keep all of your available senses open to it.

Walking with company 1: Safety

I think this is not only a very important reason for walking with company, but often a reason why people tend to avoid walking solo.

It is safer to walk with other people. Often people you walk with will be more experienced, can lead you if you’re not confident on navigation, have different skills, or can provide second opinions on things. At the very least though, regardless of your experience accidents and injuries can happen to anybody, and being with other people reduces risk in these scenarios.

Tip: If you rely on the experience or guidance of others for your safety, maybe see if you can learn from them. This will not only increase the safety of the whole group (think your navigator themselves becoming unwell), but will also potentially expand your horizons by being able to look after yourself or even others.

Solo walking 2: To think or not to think

Benefits for mental health are huge when it comes to walking, both solo or with company. Many people like to go for a walk on their own to get some sort of mental benefit, and from my experience this can largely be broken into two categories: to think or not to think!

How often have you heard of somebody going for a walk to “think things through” or to “clear their head”.

Walking on your own to think gives a lot of perspective. You remove yourself from a situation and have time without distractions to contemplate, weigh up different points, and really think through things. It encourages a more relaxed state, and keeps your body occupied, which can often be when clearer answers to dilemmas just seem to come to you.

Equally, walking solo can provide a form of meditation, a trance like state where you are not thinking about anything! The rhythm of your movement and your senses being occupied by the world around you distract your sometimes busy mind. You relax into a calm and peaceful mode of not thinking, of simply living in the moment. In an ever more chaotic world these moments of peace and resting one’s mind are highly beneficial, and I think a big reason a lot of people get such a benefit from such solo walks, I know I do!

Tip: In my experience the longer the walk the better for these benefits!

Walking with company 2: Talking

Walking provides such a wonderful opportunity for talking. I struggle to put my finger on it, maybe it’s the rhythm of the movement, maybe the fact you are enjoying the surroundings, maybe it’s the open space, but whatever it is walking and talking comes very naturally.

There is a reason why walking and talking therapy is a thing. People feel more comfortable opening up and maybe talking about things they otherwise wouldn’t. Likewise it is a great way to get to know somebody – it makes a great first date and I’ve heard numerous success stories of people meeting for a walk in lockdowns as the only allowed dating activity!

One of my customers said in a review that “I felt like we met as strangers and finished the day as friends, if that’s not too cheesy!” Whether you are walking with strangers, friends, family, a partner or anybody else, a walk and a talk can help you connect in a unique way.

Tip: No need to force it - walking in shared silence is OK too, the conversation will come naturally in time.

Solo walking 3: Getting out your comfort zone, building confidence and learning new things

For some people walking solo will be out of their comfort zone, and if this is you I would encourage you to try it, hopefully at least part inspired by some reasons I have mentioned above. (See tip below for getting started!)

However even for the more confident and experienced solo walkers, being out on your own is often the best opportunity to push yourself or improve your skillset. I love walking with my partner, family, friends etc. and I love guiding groups and sharing my passion. But I also appreciate that this isn’t the best time to be practicing new skills for me or pushing myself to bigger walking challenges. Unless you are with people with very aligned interests, abilities and goals, often that perfect space of just outside your comfort zone is best explored solo. What is a good level challenge for you may be way too much for your walking companions. Walking in company is all about a walk that is appropriate and enjoyable for the whole group. Getting out and walking solo is a time to develop yourself, and in my eyes that’s always a good thing!

Tip: If you are interested in walking solo for the first time, start small and within your comfort zone. You might like climbing big mountains with your experienced hiking buddy, but if you’re not confident or don’t have the skillset to be doing this on your own then start with something easier. This could be a smaller walk that is perhaps well marked and with other people around, such as a local park or canal path. Build your skills and/or confidence from here, practiced in a comfortable environment and then gradually increased as suitable.

Walking with company 3: Sharing experiences

We are human beings and we are designed to be social creatures. Sharing in positive, enjoyable experiences is a wonderful thing! There are magical moments when out walking that are just simply better shared – laughing together at getting a soaking from the latest downpour, congratulating each other on shared efforts, pointing out and admiring views, or joking about the slip and the muddy bum!

There are just some times that you want to share with other people, and sharing in all sorts of walking experiences is a joy!

Tip: You don’t need to have friends, family or a partner to go walking with. There are many clubs, groups etc that organise group walks and a wonderful community of people just waiting to share their passion with others. And, of course, you could always book a guided walk…. 😊

What are your favourite benefits to walking solo or with company? I would love to hear your thoughts on it!