During our recent train trip through southern Canada, we had the pleasure to meet and travel with a very special group of seniors. They belonged to an international walking association and had banded together to enjoy train travel combined with walking tours along the way. What a fun group! They brought a sense of camaraderie and good cheer along with them, and we all had a better time because of their fun loving presence.
Not all seniors are content with luxury cruises and bus tours that keep them penned up for days on end. Today, the great out doors has become a popular venue for those who want to test their mettle and do something active and exhilarating at the same time.
Walking has become a popular activity in our health and fitness driven society, and active seniors are often the first in line to try new things. People are stronger and they are enjoying good health much longer these days, and they are finding that a rocking chair just will not do. It didn’t take long for travel companies to jump on the bandwagon and they are now more than happy to offer their expertise when it comes to planning these adventures.
Groups are lead by experienced guides. Leaders are often naturalists or history buffs who are eager to share their expertise. Planned daily walks in every venue from cityscapes to mountain trails are available throughout the world. If you like to walk and enjoy discovering new places in the company of other fun loving people, a walking tour might be just the thing for you. Just the idea that someone else is in charge of the itinerary, including meal plans and accommodations, is enough of a draw to interest me.
The seniors we met were traveling by train across southern Canada from coast to coast. They stopped off at the major cities, or other scenic areas, along the way and would do 8-15 km walks before hopping back on the train. Train travel doesn’t make many provisions for exercise (unfortunately they haven’t caught on to the idea that a spa car might be a good idea), so these walking tours are more than perfect. Regular exercisers find the walks relaxing, energizing and fun. For the most part, they are too busy having fun to focus on the fact that they are getting a good workout.
They all agree that traveling with a group is an enjoyable experience. The pace is leisurely enough that they don’t feel pressured to keep up, but they find that they can often out-walk people much younger than they are. Good spirits and fitness often carry them further along a trail than most others who venture out. I can believe this because I can remember once being passed by a vigorous group of seniors on a hiking trail. While I was busy just putting one foot in front of the other they scurried by with their walking sticks in hand. I was in my 40s at the time and I thought I was in pretty good shape. So, don’t snicker when you think of a group of seniors on a walking trip.
The group we met belonged to Walking Adventures International (www.walkingadventures.com), but I have read about similar groups originating in many cities and I think you can find just what you are looking for.
Why walk? Walk for the fun of it. Walking sparks an interest in healthy habits (you might even want to train for these events so that you can walk further and faster), build new friendships (meeting people is easy when you have something in common), build self confidence (challenge yourself for no other reason than to prove to yourself than you have still got it).
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