Walking as practice, not just exercise
When a Regina man reached his 50th year, he answered an unlikely call: to walk a centuries‑old pilgrimage across northern Spain. That journey, taken in 2013, was the start of what he describes as a transformational relationship with walking — one that eventually reshaped how he understood his long struggle with depression.
Ken Wilson, a writer and instructor in English and creative writing at the University of Regina, has collected essays on that relationship in Walking Well: Trails, Paths, Pilgrimages. He plans to launch the book at Black Bird Commons bookstore in Regina on Oct. 28.
Daily practice through familiar places
More than a decade after the Camino de Santiago, Wilson says walking has become a central part of his day. His commute to the university takes him through Wascana Centre, a routine he now relies on to begin each morning.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t start my day that way,”
For Wilson, walking is not merely a way to get exercise or reach a destination. He told local reporters it offers a method to interrupt the repetitive, often negative patterns of thought that can make depression difficult to escape, while also opening opportunities to notice and connect with the world around him.
From bleakness to connection
Wilson says the practice of travelling on foot helped him move away from decades of what he called “bleak, numb sadness” and “awful self‑loathing” he carried since childhood. Over time, he found walking contributed to experiencing joy and connection instead.
“I never imagined that I would be free of that bleak, numb sadness, that awful self‑loathing, which I’d carried with me since childhood,”
He also noted that the daily habit has been part of his experience of no longer needing medication for depression, though he was careful not to present his story as a universal remedy.
Practical takeaways and local relevance
Wilson urges caution about generalising from his experience. He emphasised that everyone is different and what worked for him might not work for others. Nonetheless, he believes walking outdoors is worth considering for people dealing with anxiety or depression, even when time is scarce.
- Walking can provide a low‑barrier routine for mental‑health maintenance;
- It can help disrupt negative thought patterns and create space for noticing surroundings;
- Short daily walks through familiar places — such as Regina’s Wascana Centre — can be integrated into commutes or breaks.
Event details
The book launch gives Regina residents an opportunity to hear directly from the author and discuss the themes of walking, solitude and recovery.
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book | Walking Well: Trails, Paths, Pilgrimages |
| Launch | Oct. 28 at Black Bird Commons bookstore, Regina |
| Author | Ken Wilson — writer and University of Regina instructor |
For readers in Regina and the surrounding region, Wilson’s account is both personal and practical: a reminder that mental‑health supports can take many forms and that local green spaces and walking routes can serve as daily tools for well‑being. His story also underscores that such practices exist alongside — not always in place of — medical and therapeutic supports.
As more people seek accessible ways to tend to mental health, Wilson’s essays place walking in conversation with pilgrimage traditions and everyday routines, inviting locals to consider the potential of a simple walk to change the way they relate to themselves and the city around them.
