28: There’s A Walk For That with Harriet Thomas - Episode 28

28: There’s A Walk For That with Harriet Thomas - Episode 28

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and better health? Harriet Thomas shares how a 4am sciatica crisis left her literally crawling to the bathroom and questioning what ageing was going to look like for her. That frightening night became, as she puts it, a warning rather than a one-off, and it pushed her into a daily walking habit that changed how her body and mind felt.

You’ll hear Harriet talk from her London garden, birdsong and distant traffic in the background, as she explains why “sitting is the new smoking” and how years of stiffness and pain weren’t just about getting older, but about not moving enough. She describes how walking every day eased her sciatica within a week, softened her stress responses, and helped her feel calmer instead of constantly on edge.

This episode is especially helpful if alcohol has left your body tense, your mood flat, or your sleep broken, and you’re looking for something simple, free and gentle to support your recovery. Harriet offers a guided walk you can follow along with: starting with a slow body scan, feeling your feet on the ground, and then walking “as if you are kissing the earth”, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh.

She shows how paying attention to tiny details – blades of grass moving, a starling’s wings, the colour of bluebells – can lower stress and bring back a sense of wonder.

Harriet also talks about realistic goals like daily walks and step counts, and why repetition isn’t boring: “Repetition is an opportunity to experience the same thing differently.” If you’re rebuilding your health or recovery one small habit at a time, this gentle, practical episode might be the nudge that gets you out the door. Could a simple daily walk be the quiet tool your body has been asking for?