37: There’s A Walk For That with Harriet Thomas and guest Lynda Russell-Whitaker FRSA37: There’s A Walk For That with Harriet Thomas and guest Lynda Russell-Whitaker FRSA
UK Health Radio Podcast
Harriet Thomas and voice coach Lynda Russell-Whitaker FRSA talk about how walking supports confidence, public speaking and everyday mental health. Their conversation links movement, breath, voice and community, with practical ideas for fitting short walks into busy lives.
41:04•2 Aug 2026
Walking, Words and Women’s Voices with Lynda Russell-Whitaker
Episode Overview
- Regular walking can reduce stress, support proper breathing and help the voice feel more relaxed and grounded for public speaking.
- Practising speeches outdoors, speaking while walking and recording ideas on the move can make language sound more natural and rhythmic.
- People do not always need a full script; choosing between thin notes, detailed notes or ad lib speaking depends on what keeps them calm and clear.
- Short daily walks, even gentle pottering through the local high street, can boost mental health and create small moments of community connection.
- Making time for movement during the working day can ease musculoskeletal pain, improve focus and reduce the build-up of resentment and tension.
““I want more women to be heard. I want them to speak up, whether it's at a meeting or… talking about their passion or their business.””
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of how something as simple as walking can reshape confidence, calm nerves and even transform public speaking. Harriet Thomas talks with voice coach and entrepreneur Lynda Russell-Whitaker FRSA about the surprising bond between putting one foot in front of the other and finding the courage to speak up.
Lynda works mainly with women who fear public speaking, helping them shift from “borderline phobia” to enjoying being on stage, in meetings or on sales calls. She traces her squiggly career path from classical singing training and digital media into coaching, bringing in ancient Greek orators, rhetorical tools and plenty of humour along the way.
Her focus is on practical techniques: breathing from the belly, projecting the voice, choosing whether to script, use light notes or speak off the cuff, and working with the body so the voice can relax. Walking runs through the conversation like a steady rhythm. Lynda shares how working with clients outdoors changes voice projection and eases awkward eye contact, while Harriet talks about pacing out speeches in parks, “vocally doodling” ideas and using walking to loosen up language and rhythm.
They connect movement with breath control, lung capacity and that all-important grounded feeling that keeps nerves in check. The episode also turns to mental health and community. Both women describe walking as a nervous-system reset, a way to regain perspective, and a daily chance to exchange small but meaningful interactions on the high street.
From rainy-day resistance to beach walks, pottering in town and growing herbs at home, the chat gently nudges anyone glued to a chair to step outside, even for 20 minutes. It’s a warm, rambling, very human conversation that speaks directly to people juggling work, stress, pain and the fear of being heard. So, what short walk could you build into your day to give your voice a bit more space?
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