Dogs & Walks

(out and about with Alfie & Toto and Louis strapped to my chest)

It’s actually absurd how much I love walking. Before I had Louis and the dogs I walked (duh), but not like this. It was more functional — a good method to get from A to B. Or a chance to clear my head from something that didn’t want to leave.

However since two (hyper active) dogs joined our lives a few years ago, walking has an entirely new meaning. It’s part of my routine, something reliable and very much a requirement.

Now layer on a pregnancy and soon after a baby and the case is made. Walking is a ritual, a reset and probably the main reason we still have our sanity.

The Rhythm That Grounds Us

Walking has become how I return to myself.

I walk every morning — mostly with Louis, always with our two German Shorthaired Pointers, Alfie and Toto, trotting ahead like they own the mountain. And honestly, they kind of do.

There’s something about the rhythm of it, the way your body finds a pace, your thoughts catch up, and the noise starts to dissolve. The act of simply putting one foot in front of the other switches on a different mental mode.

There are no KPIs. No prompts. No rush.

Louis spent his first few weeks in the NICU; my husband would walk with Alfie & Toto our usual route and send videos to us in hospital. That daily walk was the best way to recharge and reset, and a reminder for me to get back there as soon as I could.

And today, a year and a half later, it’s still the same: It’s just trees. Views. Breathing. Movement. Baby. Dogs. Repeat. (and throwing pine cones until your arms give in)

What I’ve Learned From the GSPs

Alfie and Toto — like all dogs — have a gift.

They don’t rush. They don’t overthink. They’re alert, alive, and completely in the present moment. A good stick? Pure joy. Saw a squirrel? Only one mission!

They remind me that being outside doesn’t need to be productive.

It just needs to be done, experienced and repeated (it’s part of the framework).

Some days, the walk is where I think about an idea or a something I’m trying to solve. Other days, it’s where I have an incredible chat with a good friend. And sometimes, it’s just about getting my favourite Matcha on the way and 25,000 steps in before 9AM (that’s Alfie & Toto’s step count obvs).

Walking as Self-Regulation

There’s a reason walking is prescribed as a mental health tool.

It’s not just movement, it is regulation.

It’s nervous system care.

It’s alone time without being alone.

It’s a way to see the world without having to be in the middle of it.

For mothers especially, walking can feel like the one thing that still belongs to you.

It’s quiet.

It’s rhythmic.

It doesn’t ask much, but it gives a lot.

It’s also an incredible time to let your child set the pace (once they can walk) and interact with nature without prompts or an agenda: you’ll see regulated, easy-going little humans in the moment and afterwards.

Some Things I’ve Realised on These Walks:

• I can’t solve everything, but I can usually walk off the panic/stress/worry/exhaustion/confusion/younameit.

• Walking in nature is a full body & mind experience and really good exercise (especially if you’re into baby-weight-belts).

• My dogs are the most intuitive co-regulators I’ve ever met.

• Walking with a friend usually means really good conversations (it’s the fact that you’re in constant motion that tricks your brain, I think).

• Having your baby strapped to your chest while walking in nature — nothing beats this. (Ok, maybe seeing him walk the same route with his own legs does).

• Walking the same route often means your chance to meet new friends for life increases (we have collected incredible gems this way!).

So?

Walk. (and get a dog!)

Even if it’s short. Even if it’s just around the block.

There’s something sacred about moving forward and having this appointment with yourself.

This is an ode to walking.

To rhythm.

To sanity.

To two muddy GSPs and a baby who knew how to throw a pine cone before he could walk.

See you out there!

And hit me up if you want to join for a walk in Cape Town

XJulia