When did we start walking for leisure?
"Going for a walk" is a popular pastime among older and younger generations alike because of its well-known benefits for our physical and mental health. But you may be surprised to hear that wandering through pretty streets or hiking in mountainous have not always been considered leisure activities, according to Daniel Gale, a researcher of pedestrianism (步行运动).
Before that, it was just something people did out of necessity, some of whom even associated it with criminal activity. But for Charles Dickens, the famous English 19th Century author, marching through London streets and tramping around the countryside was a big part of the creative process. He walked at an impressive pace of four miles per hour, according to his biography by Peter Ackroyd.
Perhaps you can take inspiration from another big-thinking wanderer. 19th Century American writer Henry David Thoreau took a slower approach, preferring to stroll over hills and fields and through the woods. He said that he could not preserve his health and spirits without walking at least four hours a day.
This idea of taking a stroll to clear your head has survived through to the 21st Century. But have pedestrian manners remained the same? A 1780 article for the London Magazine advised pedestrians to avoid things such as hanging around in conversation and obstructing people behind you.
In this modern age, when many of us are tied to our desks and to our screens, try the simple act of stepping out onto the city pavements, or getting lost in nature. Whether you see yourself more as a casual stroller or a purposeful strider (阔步者), why not build a habit out of it?
A. What if speed-walking isn't your thing?
B. This may make all the difference to our wellbeing.
C. Nowadays, we could add distracted phone-users.
D. He brought the recreation of walking into fashion.
E. Going on an urban walk is much more pleasant now.
F. It was a time to absorb what was going on around him.
G. In Britain, walking for fun wasn't really a thing until the 1780s.
