Organising Blaze Trails in the Surrey Hills

Why organise a Blaze Trails walking group here?

I've always loved walking and being outside, honestly that's where I'm happiest, so when I became a mum, I did find the first few months challenging. It was a huge lifestyle shift, from how little sleep you got, how long it would take to pack everything in the car, drinking cold coffee, planning when to have a shower, so going out for a walk with my little one, even if it was just 20 minutes, became a luxury and a solace.

As soon as my little one turned 3 months (and the weather got colder ha!), I started getting back into walking and hiking longer trails. I would start challenging the terrain as well, sometimes flat foot paths, sometimes hills, sometimes just in the buggy around the local park! I started to become more comfortable packing everything we both needed for the adventure, planning the route, how long it would take and knowing when to fit it into my sons schedule. Having so many different choices and routes in the Surrey Hills gave me so much freedom and adventure, I felt we could explore somewhere new every day and week, which gave me that confidence and motivation again. This is something I am so glad I did!

Although, we did go to a few baby classes and groups in the first year, none were outside or encouraged parents to get outside, so discovering Blaze Trails and the message they want to promote, I jumped at the chance!

Now my little one is older and knowing the joy it has been for both of us, I wanted to support other parents to get outside with their babies and toddlers. Walking and being outside is so great for our children, as it promotes their circadian rhythm, helping them to sleep better (we all hope!), it helps them gain confidence in themselves, and learn new challenges and skills.

It also benefits us by improving our mental health, decreasing our stress levels, improving our self confidence as we gain new skills and overcome challenges (poonami and toddler tantrums anyone?). Walking with other parents also allows us to socialise, have that needed to adult conversation and give and receive advice.

If this is something you would like to do as well, I would say go for it! Get involved, get outside and enjoy the time you have together with your baby and/or toddler.

Happy walking!