YOU may have read in the news recently about American researchers who have found that, for the same amount of energy used, walkers experience greater health benefits than runners – including a greater reduction in the risk of heart disease.

That’s great news for people like me who don’t feel energetic enough to go out for a ten-mile run but are quite happy to get their gear on and stretch their legs.

And there’s no better place to do it than in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with its rolling slopes and beautiful valleys.

Like many others, I’ve sometimes met people who can’t understand the attraction of walking in rough terrain – often in wet or cold weather – and they can’t imagine the sense of satisfaction when you finish the route tired, hungry and looking forward to a pint and a bag of crisps.

They look at you with a certain amount of sympathy when you try to explain the feeling you get when you’re standing on the top of a hill looking down into Swaledale or the Wharfe Valley with the countryside laid out before you.

But they are the ones who are losing out.

Summer or winter, the landscape of the national park is ever changing – minute to minute and day to day – but that’s part of the pure joy of walking in it.

On cold days on the top of Ingleborough or Great Shunner Fell, the wind is blowing fresh air into your lungs and giving your cheeks a cold nip. On others, the rain is giving your face a good wash or the hail is a stinging reminder that the landscape can be as harsh and unforgiving as it is breathtaking.

And in summer time, the lushness of the scenery, the smells and the heat of the sun on your back give you an almost serene feeling of calmness.

Some people may be put off at the thought of abandoning the car and striding out on foot, either because they don’t have the experience and equipment or because they just don’t know where to go.

But that isn’t a problem.

The national park authority organises guided walks to suit every age, ability and interest including geocaching trails that keep the youngsters happy and digital audio trails that can be downloaded to your mp3 player to help you find out more about the hidden history of this special place.

Nick Oldham