I’ve now officially had more weeks off work due to lockdowns than I have taken holiday in the 12 years I’ve been doing my job.  That’s a sobering thought.  I wonder how much longer it will continue.  Although I’m not in my clinic treating people, I still try to help people online as much as I can and I still take notice when someone says they are in pain, I can’t help myself, it’s like an obsession.  And what have I noticed?  Backache that’s what.  How many people reading this have backache right now?  Most of you I would bet.  Whether its mild discomfort or debilitating pain, it’s a fact…

Let me take you back, my friends, to a time in history before all of this existed.  Ug the caveman scrambled out of his cave at first light, strapped some animal hide to his feet, picked up his pointy stick and headed off in search of breakfast.  Unfortunately, the rains from the night before had left everywhere really muddy and Ug was soon slipping over in the brown stuff and laying face down in a puddle.  At that very moment, Ugs primitive brain thought there might be a need for different shoes, maybe with more grip.  Sadly, we will never know what Ug would have invented as shortly after he…

I love to walk, you may have already figured that out if you have been paying attention, and despite the weather I still like to pull on my boots and get outside in the fresh air, but not everyone is like me, apparently. So, what is going to make you get up, strap on some boots, climb into a waterproof jacket and head outside.  Under the current restrictions you are supposed to stay local, so how do you cope if you live in a city and walks around you are boring?  There are only so many times you can walk passed the same row of houses or the gas works,…

A thousand miles? Are you mad?  The first time I undertook this challenge I was met with shock and horror from most people I spoke to about it.  It wasn’t as if I was doing it all in one go!  But a thousand miles does seem a long way, I mean its only 874 miles from Lands End to John O’Groats and that traditionally seems like the furthest anyone would walk.  But I wanted to give it a try for lots of reasons.  Having done a few hill walks and coastal paths I thought I should try something a bit longer term. The particular challenge I decided on was the…

For many years people have debated which form of exercise is best and often the question of whether running or walking is better for your health, so I thought I would wade in and add to the debate. So, which is it? Running or walking? Walking obviously.  I mean I would say that wouldn’t I? But there is some science behind my choice.  Firstly of course it depends on why you want to exercise and whether you have exercised before.  If its purely to lose weight and you are reasonably fit and have exercised previously then running will burn more calories more quickly so that would seem the best option…

If you have been keeping up, you will know that last week I set out across the wilds of Northamptonshire with friends in search of God knows what only to get lost possibly in someone’s orchard.  And whilst it was a lovely walk and we eventually arrived home unscathed I had decided maps were actually useful after all, so I purchased a subscription to OS Maps App for my phone.  Thanks to my subscription to Country Walking Magazine, I got it for half price, so those of you who might think it sounds like a magazine for the elderly can think what you like while you are paying full price…

This weekend saw a couple of epic walks that didn’t exactly go to plan.  It started with a text from a neighbour inviting me on a socially distanced dog walk across the fields to explore the world around our village.  I obviously couldn’t pass up the opportunity to speak to real people even if it was at a safe distance, so I jumped at the chance and before long we were on our way to who knew where. I have been on many walks around the UK, up hills and down dales and all that, and usually I have either a map or a little GPS gadget, but this time…