In the several Bethesda neighborhoods I walk in, I see LOTS of people walking sans canine.

? I go for walks without any dogs, because I don't have any dogs.

I do! But I'm from the UK where walking is normal.

This is odd. A lot of people don't walk with dogs, because they don't have a dog. But a lot of people own dogs so they are going to take the dog with them. Why would you leave the dog at home only to have to walk them again later? Two birds, one stone.

I do. I go on my own, with DH, with DD (or both at once), or with a friend. I didn't used to by the pandemic got me into it. I've discovered that when I'm struggling with procrastination or a bad mood, going for a walk for 30-40 minutes is a great way to shake it off. DH goes for a walk at lunch almost every day, whether he's WFH or in the office. Walks are awesome.

That said, having an excuse to take a walk helps a lot if you feel weird just going out for one. Dogs are a good excuse, but there are many others. This afternoon I will go for a walk to return something to Amazon at the Whole Foods drop off. I also often make short lists of needed items and then do a circuit to pick them all up. They might be things that could wait for our regular grocery trips, or that I could order online easily, but that's not the point. Merely having a destination and purpose can get me out the door, so I just give myself one and go.

Also, don't wait for nice weather. Some of the best walks happen in the rain or on a cloudy or snowy day. It's actually really nice to be out walking when no one is around -- I love early morning walks for this reason. Obviously some weather makes a walk unpleasant (heavy wind, total downpour, blizzard), but if you get some weather-appropriate clothes, you might find a walk in a drizzle or on a gray, blustery day is really invigorating.

DH and I walk in our neighborhood just to get out. NW DC.

I walk all the time without my dogs. So do many people in RCP all weekend!

On my walk (with my dogs) this morning, half the people I encountered had dogs and the others did not. (I am not including the runners I came across).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife and I walk a couple of miles almost every evening. Not as a workout, we just wander around.

Do you live in the suburbs? I can imagine this being more common in an urban area, but I don’t see it in the suburbs.

NP. People walk all the time in my suburb.

I don't have a dog and yesterday logged 12,000 steps on my walks. If I DID have a dog, I'd bring it with me.

You must live under a rock.

Because there’s other stuff I need to do—but with the dog it’s because the dog needs a walk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:? we go for walks, not power walks, and we don't have dogs.

Do you go by yourself or do you usually have someone with you?

What difference would that make?

I walk my dogs at least twice a day and I notice people without dogs walking all the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife and I walk a couple of miles almost every evening. Not as a workout, we just wander around.

Do you live in the suburbs? I can imagine this being more common in an urban area, but I don’t see it in the suburbs.

What? People walk in our suburban neighborhood all the time.