Why you should take up walking during restrictions

Here's why you should take up walking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pets of all shapes and sizes fill be looking for forever homes at the Townsville City Council Animal Shelter Open Day this weekend. Picture: File

IT FEELS like Mrs J and I have been taking early morning runs and walks forever. 

I didn't take up running until I was thirty-five. Mrs J started at a much younger age.

Running takes some getting used to as it brings with it much pain and it takes a while to program one's brain to think positive thoughts to stave off the agony.

Along the way we've knocked over plenty of "fun runs", a few half-marathons and one painful marathon at the Gold Coast where I did a personal best (PB) of five hours, forty-seven minutes. Only four hours outside the world record!

As I age, my knee health declines and after two arthroscopies I am now a walker. 

Mrs J does her early morning run then we walk together.

Walking of a morning in Toowoomba is a most satisfying activity. 

Sure we don't have the beaches, mountains, temples, castles or monuments to look at but we've got something even nicer, beautiful people.

Each morning we pass about 100 people in Middle Ridge.

Since this COVID-19 thing broke out, numbers have increased dramatically.

If there is to be a good outcome from this scourge surely healthy activity, particularly walking, is the winner.

The thing about early morning walks is the happiness of the passers-by. Smiles aplenty as we make our daily excursion. 

Most of our walking comrades are attached to a dog or two by pieces of string. Even the dogs smile.

There are people we don't know so we've given them nicknames like "lady with a stick," "man with a cut-down golf club" and "Nugget" who runs like Steve Moneghetti.

There are those we do know like "Bobsie,'" aka Maree, who rides and runs at such pace her ponytail is parallel to the ground. 

There's the very affable "Slazengers," Ros and Rob, who are always up for a lovely chat and Bob who, God bless him, collects rubbish along the way.

There's Mike who used to walk two dogs and now walks just one because the other is "social distancing," and there's Peter who, despite his many years, can run, walk and even fly with his pooch.

There's Marg and Greg, well known retired CBD businesspeople, who seem as much in love today as when they married all those years ago.

But our favourite of all these wonderful people is Patsy. 

She's a retired country girl from way out west for sure. 

She walks up and down her street twice a day and is a very spritely 78 years. 

She's across all contemporary issues and reads The Chronicle six days a week.

So if you don't walk daily, try it. 

We look forward to seeing you first thing tomorrow.