Key quotes

“When you get your posture right, something also changes in your brain, in your mood. You feel more confident, more hopeful.”

“Every walk in London, if you haven’t done it before, is an unexpected inspiration.”

“Cemeteries allow us to feel emotions we’re not usually allowed to show – sadness, grief – but they also remind us how lucky we are.”

The Walking Cure with Annabel Abbs: Exploring the Benefits of Walking in London and Beyond

Walking is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to improve health, boost mood and discover new perspectives on the world. In this week’s Do London Differently podcast, writer Annabel Abbs (also publishing as Annabel Streets) shares her insights into why walking matters, how landscapes shape our wellbeing, and why London is one of the best cities in the world for walking.

Annabel is the author of Windswept, 52 Ways to Walk and most recently The Walking Cure. Her work combines science, story and history, encouraging us to see walking not only as exercise but as a cure for the mind and body.

Who is Annabel Abbs?

Annabel Abbs is an award-winning writer who has published both fiction and non-fiction. In recent years she has become best known for her explorations of walking. Her book Windswept uncovered the forgotten history of women walkers such as Nan Shepherd, Georgia O’Keefe and Simone de Beauvoir.

Frustrated by the dominance of male voices in nature writing, Annabel set out to show that women have always walked wild landscapes with courage and purpose. This led to her guide 52 Ways to Walk, which offers weekly inspiration to explore the outdoors through all four seasons.

Her newest title, The Walking Cure, takes a scientific look at how different landscapes, from forests to cities, change the way we feel.

The Benefits of Walking for Health and Wellbeing

Walking is more than physical activity. Annabel explains that posture, pace and place all influence our wellbeing. Small adjustments to gait and stance can help people walk with more balance and confidence. She argues that when we walk taller, with shoulders back and head up, mood and outlook naturally improve.

Scientific research also shows that walking in different environments produces unique benefits:

• By the sea: sea air is filled with nutrients and minerals that improve sleep quality.

• In forests: trees release terpenes and phytoncides that reduce stress and lower cortisol.

• In the mountains: altitude stimulates a hormone that has natural antidepressant qualities.

• In historic cities: intricate details, architecture and art distract the mind and reduce anxiety, providing many of the same restorative effects as green space.

Walking in London: Hidden Routes and Historic Inspiration

London offers endless opportunities for urban walking. Annabel particularly enjoys the City of London, where centuries-old alleyways, courtyards and churches create a sense of discovery. She describes leading a route that followed Christopher Wren’s churches, dipping into crypts and re-emerging in unexpected alleyways ending at sixteenth-century pubs.

Another favourite is Temple Gardens, quiet green spaces tucked away near Fleet Street. Although private, they are open to the public before three o’clock each day and provide a rare oasis of calm.

Annabel believes that every London walk holds unexpected inspiration, whether it is a hidden mural, an ancient plaque or a tree-lined cemetery offering reflection and gratitude.

Accessibility and Inclusion in Walking

At the London Walking Festival, Annabel joined panels that explored how walking looks different for everyone. For many people walking requires mobility support such as frames or wheelchairs. Cities therefore need smoother pavements, better kerbs and safer crossings.

Her takeaway was that designing London for all walkers is essential if walking is to remain accessible as people age or experience disability.

Practical Walking Tips for Everyday Life

Walking can fit into daily life with just a few small changes. Annabel suggests:

• Switching from busy roads to greener routes using apps like Go Jauntly.

• Leaving the car at home by asking yourself, “Do I really need to drive?” before every short journey.

• Getting off the bus or tube a stop earlier and completing the journey on foot through a park or tree-lined street.

• Slowing the pace sometimes to absorb detail, history and inspiration along the route.

Even ten minutes of walking in a calmer environment can lower stress levels and lift mood.

Cemeteries as Places of Reflection

One of the most unusual themes in The Walking Cure is the role of cemeteries. Annabel writes about these spaces as places that allow sadness and grief, but also encourage gratitude and perspective. Walking among headstones is a reminder of mortality, but also of resilience and good fortune. For many people, cemeteries are among the most peaceful and reflective walking routes in the city.

Why Walking Matters

For Annabel Abbs, walking is never just about movement. It is about noticing, connecting and finding inspiration. Whether you are walking fast for fitness, slowly for reflection, or purposefully to get from place to place, each walk has the power to change how you feel.

London is a city that offers everything a walker could want: green parks, historic streets, hidden gardens and cultural surprises around every corner. As Annabel puts it, we are completely spoiled as walkers in this city.