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Walking in the rain |
Dr Andrew Binns, 
Even on a healthy, wholesome diet we really need to walk about 7,500-9000 steps every day for energy balance and health. It may sound a lot but the good news is that it can be divided between planned walking that adds up to 30-50 minutes a day, plus adding as many incidental steps as possible (eg. using the stairs instead of lifts, walking to the shop instead of driving, mowing the lawn etc). If there is not time for the planned activity the incidental can be increased to compensate.
What if it rains as often happens in the Northern Rivers? Many say this is a great reason not to walk. Well there are umbrellas and we can all remember the benefits of raincoats and some will even remember the sou-westers and galoshes (rubber overshoes to keep the feet dry), although sadly these have lost their street cred. What’s more, walking in the rain can be pleasant, even fun, as we may recall from our childhood.
So will we catch a cold or get pneumonia by walking in the rain? Thankfully there is no such proven association but there is plenty of evidence that maintaining fitness is good for our immune system, which helps protect us against all those nasty bugs. So that leaves us with an argument in favour of also venturing out on wet days to maintain our health. I am sure our forebears didn’t worry about a bit of rain - on the contrary they would have welcomed it in our arid land.
So, next time it rains, get the brolly out and remind yourself just how good walking in the rain is.
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