Forest Walking and Health — What the Evidence Says

What an easy walk does to the body

Walking at a comfortable pace is moderate-intensity exercise. You are breathing a little harder than usual but you can still hold a conversation, which is the simple test we use on the trail. At that level the heart works more efficiently, resting blood pressure tends to come down over weeks of regular walking, and the body handles blood sugar better — all of which matters in a country where hypertension and type 2 diabetes are among the commonest reasons older people end up in a clinic.

Weight-bearing movement also loads the bones, and loaded bone holds its density better than unloaded bone. Walking is not a cure for osteoporosis, but it is one of the few things you can do about it for free, and it can be done at seventy-five as readily as at fifty.

Then there is the part that matters most and gets talked about least: balance. Walking on a forest path is not the same as walking on a pavement. The surface varies, there are roots and small steps, and your ankles, hips and eyes are constantly making small corrections. That is exactly the kind of practice that keeps a person steady on their feet, and falls are the single biggest threat to independence in later life. Several of our regular walkers say the difference they notice first is not their fitness — it is that they no longer feel nervous on uneven ground.

Why the forest itself makes a difference

There is a good body of international research on time spent among trees and its effect on stress. The general finding is consistent: measures of stress such as blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol tend to come down during and after time in a natural setting, more than they do after the same amount of time in a built one. Some of the work points at the volatile compounds trees release, some at the light, some at the quiet, and some simply at the fact that a forest gives the attention somewhere restful to settle.

We are careful not to overstate it. Nobody should walk in the Knysna forest expecting a cure for anything. But the mood effect is real enough that our walkers name it unprompted, and it is the reason people come back week after week when a treadmill would have been abandoned by the third Tuesday.

The company matters too. Loneliness is a genuine health risk in older age, and a Saturday-morning group that expects you to show up does something that no amount of solitary exercise replaces. Half the value of what we do is the coffee afterwards.

How much is actually enough

The guidance the Department of Health follows, in line with the World Health Organization, is around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults. For adults over 65 there are two useful additions: some muscle-strengthening work on two days a week, and — importantly — activities that challenge balance on three or more days a week, specifically to reduce the risk of falling.

In practice, 150 minutes is three fifty-minute walks, or five thirty-minute ones. That is a very reachable target, and the Garden of Eden boardwalk at Diepwalle will give you half an hour of it on completely level timber.

• Aim for about 150 minutes of comfortable walking a week
• Spread it over three to five days rather than doing it all at once
• Add gentle uneven ground once you feel confident — it trains balance
• Include two days of simple strength work: sit-to-stands, heel raises, a light dumbbell
• Some walking beats no walking; ten minutes counts

If you are starting from nothing, start smaller than you think you should. A kilometre on the flat, twice in the first week, is a perfectly respectable beginning. The people who last are the ones who begin gently.

Doing it safely in a South African summer

Heat is the thing to plan around. From December to February the Garden Route is hot and humid, and heat is harder on an older body — the thirst signal is weaker, and several common medicines, including diuretics and some blood-pressure tablets, change how you handle it. Walk at first light, carry more water than feels necessary, and stop the moment you feel dizzy, unusually short of breath or unwell. Nothing on the route is worth pushing through for.

The sun is the other one. South Africa has a very high UV index, high enough to burn on a cool winter morning, so a hat, long sleeves and sunblock are standard kit even under canopy. Our routes all have open sections.

And do please speak to your doctor before you begin, particularly if you have a heart condition, uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, a joint replacement or a recent fall. This article is general information and nothing more; it is not medical advice and it is not a substitute for a proper conversation with your own GP, who knows your history. Organisations such as Age-in-Action, the Western Cape Department of Health and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa all publish sound, free guidance on activity in later life, and your local clinic can point you at it.

When you are ready to start, our preparation guide covers the practical side, and the Millwood heritage walk is a good first outing with a bit of history attached. Or simply get in touch — we will find a route that fits you.