Quarantine Walks

During the start of quarantine in March, most of us were unsure how long we would be stuck in our homes. But as the stay inside continued, new habits, routines and ways of life began to emerge. First was the baking phase—banana bread, sourdough and a multitude of TikTok recipes. Following this, many started tie-dying and purchasing lounge sets to grace their mirror selfies. During these crazy months, many people also started working on personal goals such as mental health and exercise. What’s a great activity that combines these things? Walks. 

We conducted a Google Form survey at Elon and sent it to various GroupMe and text message group chats to collect random responses. We asked the question, “Did you go for walks in quarantine?” The results showed that 29 out of 30 respondents said yes. Of these 29, 22 had not frequently walked prior to quarantine. Almost 20 percent still walk daily, and 78 percent walk at least weekly. I found these numbers very interesting, as it was clear quarantine had sparked a desire for walking amongst Elon students. 

We also asked why survey participants choose to walk. Their responses included topics such as mental health, physical health and pure joy. Some of our favorites were, “self reflection,” “gyms are closed, and the outdoors gives me a nice break from the stress of college” and “to get out of the house.” The most popular answers showed that the general intention is to clear one’s head and exercise.

Some walk with friends and family as a social activity, while others pop in their headphones and use this time differently. We asked solo walkers what they like to listen to on their walks. While a handful of respondents said they listen to music, an overwhelming majority said they’ve found a new love for listening to podcasts while walking. In this way, walking can be a great way to combine mentally health habits.

Personally, I enjoy walking both with friends and alone. I have gone through several podcasts in the past few months, covering topics from political and social justice to crime, pure entertainment and comedy. I look at walking as both a fun social activity to do (while also getting exercise) and a way to create time for self reflection. I believe walking is a multi-faceted form of exercise and recommend it to all. And best of all, my favorite place to walk? Elon’s campus.