YouAsk Kim
A woman with a canvas bag and a camera walking a sunlit cobbled lane under bougainvillea, the sea at the end

Travel · 20 min

Find one step-free walk near home

A short, level route with benches and a place to turn back, so anyone can come, wheels and walking sticks included.

20 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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A good walk near home does not need hills or views. For someone with a wheelchair, a walking frame, a child in a stroller or pushchair or tired legs, the best route is often a short, level one with somewhere to rest. Finding one, and knowing it well, makes getting out a much smaller decision.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Look at a map of the streets and parks close to home, and choose a loop or an out-and-back route of ten to twenty minutes on paths rather than grass.

  2. Walk or wheel it once on your own or with a friend, noticing steps, steep slopes, crossings where the path does not slope down to the road, benches, toilets and places to shelter.

  3. Mark the benches and turning points on a phone map or a scrap of paper, so you know where you can stop or turn back.

  4. Walk it again in the next few days, at a gentler pace, with whoever it is for.

The reason

Why it helps

Knowing exactly where the next bench is, or where the route turns back, can take away much of the worry that stops people going out. A familiar route becomes easier each time, and a short loop done often can mean more than a long walk done rarely.

A gentle variation

If you cannot try the route first, ask a local walking group, park staff or neighbours about level paths nearby. Some parks and local services list step-free routes.

Two friends on a stone wall after a walk

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Walk the route with someone who uses a wheelchair or a frame, and let them set the pace and choose where to stop. They will notice things about the route that you miss.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

Today, look at a map and choose one level route near home of ten to twenty minutes with at least one bench.

Add it to your day

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