These (Winter) Boots Are Made for Walking in February – Here’s Why!
If you are heading away for a short break in Munster, don't miss these fabulous walks!
While we seem to have got through the worst of the winter’s cold snap, it can still seem like an effort to peel ourselves off from the cosy couch and away from our favourite binge-worthy TV shows, and go for a walk. For the last couple of months the earth has been hibernating…and most of us humans too! But don’t let the colder early-Spring temperatures pull you away from getting all the advantages of walking. Yes – cold weather, late sunrises, and early sunsets can make it hard to get yourself moving; however, walking is for everyone – not only is it free but research shows it offers so many benefits. Here are our five top reasons to don the winter/outdoor gear and get walking, even if all the fun of summer hikes are still a few months away:
Kick Those Winter Blues to Touch!
A brisk walk in the cold air will do you the power of good in terms of lowering stress levels and help clear your mind. Meanwhile, the increased blood flow in our brains can increase levels of serotonin and endorphins, thus boosting your mood, and improving your mental health.
Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D
It’s not the easiest of vitamins to get via our diet, yet Vitamin D is essential for strong, healthy bones – so exposure to sunlight is key to giving our body the dose that it needs. Just 10-15 minutes daily of sunlight will help you get the Vitamin D you need – however, as you can’t get it through a window, you have to get outdoors to take advantage. In a nutshell, sunlight – even a little – does a body good!
Take Your Walk as Time for Yourself
Meditation doesn’t have to be all about sitting down for an hour listening to an app. Use your walk as your own time for mindfulness – be present, and notice and connect with everything around you…the sound of your footsteps, the rhythm of your breathing, the sights you pass on your journey. If you can, leave your phone behind you, and save the calls and texts for when you’re back home.
Burn Those Calories!
Despite well-intentioned new year’s resolutions, many of us are still trying to get rid of the Christmas waistline. Walking when it’s cold means your body is working that bit harder to stay warm, and research suggests that you expend more calories when you take a walk in the colder temperatures. That’s definitely an unexpected win and of course, for extra calorie-busting gains, pick up the pace a little or carry a rucksack!
Improve Your Sleep
Not only is it more challenging to get moving when it’s cold out, winter’s short, dark days can also be a time when our sleep patterns get confused. However, exercise boosts melatonin, the natural sleep hormone, so you may find that a brisk walk at some stage during the day may help you drift off at night bringing about a more restful night’s sleep.
Ballyhoura Country, on the border of Limerick, Cork and Tipperary, is a destination within Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands known for its wonderful walking trails, and is a perfect place to get back out there, to reconnect with nature, and you can find some easy walks to start with. Of course, it’s recommended to check in with your doctor before starting new exercise regimen, but gentle walking is a wonderful way to start! Here are four easy walks, all 7km, to help you shake off that winter hibernation and get you back out into nature:
The Keale River Walk is a picturesque and gentle level walk, along woodland and riverbank, with many little bridges in between. It’s completely safe and is ideal for families too. We’re only just done celebrating St Brigid’s Day Bank Holiday Weekend, but with this walk having at least 40 shades of green along its route, it will definitely get you thinking about St Patrick’s Day! There’s also a 13km longer loop walk (Molana) starting from the same spot as Keale, so moderate walkers can test themselves here too:
Video: https://youtu.be/hRzsDxx2OXA
Darby’s Bed Loop Walk, which starts and finishes in the village of Galbally, in the heart of Ballyhoura Country, takes you to a high point of 265m north-west of the village. On this 7km walk, you will stumble upon a 6,000-year old megalithic passage grave known as the Fort of the Three Pillar Stones, known locally as 'Darby's Bed' – make sure you check out the new hand-carved statues here! The tomb has a long, almost inaccessible entrance passage, and the roof rises likes steps to the top of its chamber and is regarded as being similar to megalithic tombs in Brittany, France. The entrance passage faces north-west in line with the midsummer sunset. According to fable and folklore, it is believed that it is the grave of Olill Olum, who was one of the early kings of Munster.
Video: https://youtu.be/vwh78wrcNmI
You’ll find so much to pique your interest along the Castle Gale Loop Walk that you’ll forget that you’re trying to brush off the winter cobwebs in the first place! Firstly, you will reach a cairn of stones where, according to a local story passed down through generations, tenants in this area would hoist a flag atop this pile of stones to inform others that the local landlord was in the process of collecting rent! Continue on and keep an eye out for the Holy Well. Legend has it that a local woman once washed her clothes in this well and the next time she returned to the spot where the well had been it had magically moved to the other side of the trail, where it remains to this day! Meanwhile, The Bridge at Darragh was the site of the Battle of Darragh in 1798 in which the North Cork Militia fought the United Irishmen and is marked by a memorial plaque on the bridge.
Video: https://youtu.be/dOl6deGKOaI
The Canon Sheehan Loop owes its name to Canon Patrick Augustine Sheehan (1852-1913) a cleric and writer who wrote almost all of his major works while he was in Doneraile as Parish Priest. The starting point of this loop gives its name to one of his most famous works - a novel titled Glenanaar. On this walk you can enjoy the natural woodlands, and do keep an eye out for a well-preserved Mass Rock which is still occasionally used today!
Details: https://youtu.be/mb3mn2jly70