Devlin Brown at the water cooler | Walking is a free activity that brings mental peace

I see some clearly well-trained people walking every day in my area. I presumed one has to run to stay lean but if I can walk instead, I’ll gladly add it to my regimen. What say you, or are you all about sprints, cycling and pull-ups?

You’re not the first person to assume that my life revolves around pull-ups. It’s a great compliment, but sadly, untrue. I also don’t enjoy cycling.

In fact, many years ago I wrote a column playfully criticising cyclists for their gang-like weekend road behaviour, which unleashed the wrath of a vengeful cult. I was summoned to the national broadcaster and fielded angry phone calls from the spandex mafia.

I learnt early on in life: don’t touch anyone on their bicycle. Or their Murph or Fran. If you don’t know what that means you’ve never completed a WOD (workout of the day), you unfit heathen.

I love walking in the streets and parks. I hate walking on a treadmill. Studies show that spending time outdoors significantly improves mental wellness by lowering stress and anxiety and boosting mood.

Walking in Johannesburg’s suburbs should carry the same street cred as Hyrox. Your mobility and reflexes are tested continuously as you step off pavements to avoid raw sewage, only to play hopscotch with potholes while trying to hug the curb so as not to be run over by lawless taxis or angry Karens rushing to the local mall to be the first one to walk into Dis-Chem.

Johannesburg Water and City Power constantly dig up large sections of tar and grass to repair whatever broke with bubblegum and newspaper to ensure it breaks again. You get to know these tormented contractors personally: “See you at the same time and place next week!” Pikitup? Well, they either show up or they don’t. They mostly don’t, and as the days turn into weeks and overfilled wheelie bins become mini trash heaps, one gets a decent idea of your neighbour’s consumption habits.

If a sedan suddenly stops in front of you, you think: “Is this it: has my time come?” Adrenaline floods your body, pupils dilated, hairs on end, only for the teenage son to emerge from the Uber after an all-night bender.

Seeing trees and listening to the gentle melodic song of the hadada ibis, commonly called the hadeda, or ominous, screeching banshee, depending on your outlook — it’s all good for you.

The Gauteng Proximity Study of 2024 , led by researchers at the South African Medical Research Council and Wits University, analysed data from more than 24,000 residents. It found a 6% reduction in the prevalence of depressive symptoms among urban individuals whose homes were within a short, 15-minute walk of a public green space.

To be fair, in this day and age I can’t think of anything more valuable than a free activity that promotes mental peace.

Zone-two cardio is light-to-moderate aerobic exercise in which your heart rate stays at 60%-70% of its maximum. It feels comfortable, allows you to talk in full sentences, but prevents you from being able to sing. I haven’t tried.

I embark on at least six 20- to 30-minute zone-two walks a week, either in the morning or evening.