Walking works its magic WHEREVER you do it – but it’s easier to be inspired by a beautiful country view than the prospect of a walk shared with buses and people. But day to day that’s exactly where many of us find ourselves – and you can mine happiness and health here just as well as anywhere. When challenger Katie Marsh was struggling for motivation in her urban surroundings, she turned to the lovely people on the #walk1000miles Facebook group for help…
I'm trying to discover something new each day by walking different routes. Currently discovering Portsmouth's old graveyards! – Ginette White
One month I did a ‘letters of the alphabet’ game. So day one, letter A, day two, letter B, and so on. That worked really well when walking with the kids. – Clare Cooper
Try Treasure Trails. We’re from near Nottingham and there must be at least 10 not far away. They do cost money, but are brilliant fun. – Deborah Williams
Look up! I find city streets fascinating when you stop and look at the skyline or rooftops. It's amazing what you find! – Lynn Grant
Walk different routes to find as many of a seasonal feature as you can (snowdrops, daffodils, magnolias, roses, apples on trees, autumn leaves etc). Then work out the best route to see as many as possible in one walk. It makes the walks dynamic, as the timing of the seasons change from year to year. An overnight storm or frost can change everything. This has kept me happy as a suburban pavement pounder for years. – Lucy Cook
I sometimes take a copy of an 1885 map and hunt out the different things. Living in the grim north I find lots of industrial relics. – Peter Jeynes
Take photos of gardens, hedges and views, then repeat it every couple of weeks to see what differences there are. – Mary Roberts
Recently, I amused myself by making my own rainbow – taking photos of anything colourful. It’s surprising how much colour there is that you just don’t notice! – Bryony Brown
Urban sketching is worth a go. You don't have to be good, it just encourages you to look closely and see things. – Zena Hagger
Look into the history or places and see what gruesome goings on have taken place. – Heather West
Look for strange windows, funny shaped roofs, animals, birds etc – pick something different every time you go for a walk. – Susan Miller
I walk down the ‘posh’ roads near me and admire the houses! – Hilary Richardson
A colleague of mine printed a copy of our city centre street map and every lunch hour he walked a different route and highlighted each one until he'd coloured the whole map. – Lynne Bishop
I love walking in cities. Look up at the architecture – there’s so much history in buildings. – Gail Oglanby
How about geocaching? That’ll add a bit of fun and take you to places you hadn’t been before. – Jane Siddorn
