I've been so excited for National Walking Month and it hasn't disappointed. Active Together and all the councils are putting some great walks on through the month.

I volunteered to begin a women's walking group in the depths of this winter. Flooding at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre meant there was no paddling for me. I need to move to keep as well as I can and leading a walk a week has really kept me going. We've had over 30 women walk with us since then and been everywhere from Bradgate Park, Martinshaw woods, Thornton Reservoir, the Re/Thread art trail in the city centre and many more. We always walk on a Monday evening and we explored so many places in the dark using torches. It was so much fun but I was so ready for sun. On our last walk at Watermead Country Park it finally was warm enough for T-shirts and ice cream. I was beyond happy.

I've never walked in a group before but I've come to really love the women's walking group far more than I could have imagined. It starts the week so well and we talk about everything, play on the swings and try outdoor gyms and laugh so much.

For me, no matter how I'm feeling, walking always makes me feel better. What I didn't appreciate is the motivation a group can give you to go do a walk and all the things you discover through someone else's eyes. I definitely recommend finding one of the many walks this month and giving one a go if you've never done a group walk.