The best start to the day

This post is greater than 6 months old - links may be broken or out of date. Proceed with caution!

Buddy & Ed, sheepdogs (Amy Worley) — Buddy on the left & Ed on the right (Amy Worley)

By Amy Worley, Features Commissioning Editor at CJS

I am lucky enough to live on the North York Moors with my family and two border collies, Edmund and Buddy.

I start every day with a dog walk, before work and the school run - no matter what the weather. It’s almost a ritual for me and one that I thoroughly enjoy and benefit from.

the sky brightening (Amy Worley) — The brightening sky (Amy Worley)

January is Walk Your Dog Month – a strange time of the year to extol the virtues of walking the dog. Everywhere is muddy, it’s invariably cold, can also be wet and there is not much daylight – but dogs need walking all 12 months of the year so why not?

Sunrise in the skies over the North York Moors (Amy Worley)

In January it is always dark when we set off for our early morning walk; I have a head torch but find I don’t always need to use it – especially if there is a full moon and clear sky. The skies around me are dark therefore the stars can put on a proper show; I always find my eye drawn to the Little Bear and when the time is right have seen many shooting stars.

As the sun comes up, we often witness our local barn owl aka Barny, hunting over the moor and fields. We certainly hear the owls twit twooing in the woods.

With the brightening of the sky, we meet grouse (if up on the moor) deer (if in the woods) and see the odd rabbit and hare. Being in touch with nature in the burgeoning light warms me and always makes me thankful for where I live.

There is also the added benefit for me of getting around 8000 steps in before breakfast. Usually, our walks are an hour and brisk, so it’s a great form of exercise – I’m not a runner but I do love walking. The bit I don’t enjoy is the driving freezing rain, which stings my face and catches my eyes. The dogs, however, always enjoy it no matter what the weather throws at us.

Why not try a walk before breakfast, with or without a dog – it sets you up for the day mentally and physically and also means you can have a bigger breakfast!