Julia Bradbury
JULIA BRADBURY, 45, is a TV presenter, best known for Countryfile. She lives between London and Rutland with her property developer partner and their four-year-old son, Zephyr, and one-yearold twin girls, Xanthe and Zena.
A long walk can solve almost anything
My dad, Michael, taught me this. He introduced me to walking when I was six or seven. We lived between Sheffield and Rutland and, after school and at weekends, he’d take me out walking across the hills of the Peak district. He always made it an adventure and competitive, too. Which of us could get to the next big rock first, that kind of thing. Or we’d find a cave under a craggy rock face and he’d make up stories about pirates who’d hidden their stolen treasure there. I’ve been lucky enough to make walking my work, but it’s something I’ve always made the effort to fit into my life. Walking is good for the soul. It clears the mind. and it’s the best form of exercise. It’s great for keeping me in shape, but I don’t think some people realise the effect of exercise on the brain, how it gets the endorphins working. It’s not about getting a perfect set of abs. It’s about achieving a general level of fitness in both body and mind to carry you forward through your life. Best of all, it’s free. you don’t have to like the gym, or be a team player, here’s an activity you can do on your own — or with a friend — that doesn’t cost anything, and is incredibly liberating. I like to walk on my own. With three small children and a demanding career, I have a really busy life, so I find it nourishing to be alone with my thoughts. I find that, if I’ve got a problem when I set out on a walk, I’ve come up with the solution by the time I’ve finished. Leaving Countryfile two years ago was a big decision for me and I went on many a long walk to talk myself through that. I was undergoing IVF treatment at the time and I couldn’t tell anyone at work. I realised I couldn’t continue with my filming commitments travelling up and down the country, week in week out, while carrying on with the treatment. On my solitary walks, I came to the conclusion that I needed to find some calm and give myself a chance to have the babies I so longed for. I gave up my job and three months later I fell pregnant with my twin girls. It’s as though walking frees the mind and helps you see things clearly. I can’t imagine my life without it.
JULIA BRADBURY’S Best Walks With A View, 8pm, Friday on ITV.