I recently listened to a podcast where Australian celebrity Chrissie Swan spoke about her love for walking - “a solitary activity but one with purpose”. The beauty of walking is that it can be done anywhere and at any time, it costs nothing and has physical and mental health benefits. Hippocrates proclaimed that “walking is man’s best medicine.” and wrote much about the effects of walking on mood and the ability of walking to ease tension and nourish the body.

There are not many past times which my husband and I both share in common.  I don’t like to sail, fish, play tennis or watch sport (unless my kids are playing).  We both however love to walk, and so our weekends always involve a really long walk. We try and change up the locations and try for a different stretch of coastline or a new park, always with Harvey at our side.

Walking took on a whole new meaning for us during Covid lockdown. We were prohibited from doing so many things, but walking was allowed and encouraged. It was a lifesaver for many who had been otherwise confined to their homes for what seemed like forever.

Walking for me fuels creativity. Being out in nature and breathing fresh air is like a balm for the creative spirit. It was such a joyous thing to look out our window during the lockdown months and see families, couples and best friends walking together often with their 4 legged friends setting the pace. Harvey was never more svelte than during Covid.

Many Zjoosh products have been born out of a need or want I have experienced in my own daily life. The idea for our Wanderer bag came to me during Covid. I wanted a small bag, just big enough for a phone, cards and doggie bag which would sit snugly against my body. I have always been a cross body girl, but with all that walking I needed to travel much lighter. The Wanderer and her sister Missy were launched as perfect walking bag and continue to be amongst our best sellers.

As the Our walks got longer, and with the possibility of travel once again on the horizon, we decided to resurrect the concept of the bumbag straight from the 90’s. My trusty 1991 bumbag took me across Europe keeping all of my daily essentials super safe while I was totally handsfree. I felt it was high time to bring it back. Not only are our Stella and Allegra Bumbags on swift rotation for my local walks, they have also taken me walking through Italy and France in handsfree style. I love them and rarely use a different bag.

Our Warehouse Manager Kara and her besties each slung a Stella Bumbag across their bodies as they walked for healthy hearts for Coastrek- Australia’s most iconic hiking challenge for women.  Kara and her crew “The ZJOOSH Champagne Poppers” trekked 45km along Sydney’s beautiful coastline and rocky headlands resplendent in pink walking gear, with Zjoosh ball caps and there bright pink bumbags containing all manner of things, from Band-Aids to emergency chocolate supplies. They completed their trek in record time and, true to their name, popped Champagne at the finish line.

So whether your walk is to grab your coffee in the morning, walk and talk with a friends or  traverse 825km along the Camino de Santiago, know that walking is the elixir of life, and all the more enjoyable when completely handsfree with a Zjoosh bag made for walking.