Doug made a commitment to get out every day in September as part of his Venture Round Scotland challenge of walking 300,000 steps in the month! Read about his experience of looking forward to his time outdoors and feeling the positive effects.
I decided to take part in the Venture Round Scotland campaign in September to raise money for the incredible outdoor charity without really having any idea of what I would do to get sponsor money. I’m not a super-fit cyclist or runner, no ultra-marathons for me. But I soon realised I wanted to do something that involved some activity every day, rather than a one off activity. And I wanted to do something that highlighted the advantages of daily activity on both physical and mental health. That, after all, is a big part of what Venture Scotland is all about.
I am reasonably active, getting out for walks most days, occasionally playing football or going for a run, so a fair target seemed to be to do 10k steps every day for the whole of September. I actually worded it a little differently – 300k steps in the whole month – to give myself some slack in case I didn’t make it to 10k every day, but in the end I didn’t need it.
The effect on my state of mind was fascinating and hugely beneficial. I generally became more aware of both my body and my mind, not constantly checking to see how many steps I’d done, but just knowing that I’d have to get out the house at some point, maybe twice, to make my target. I began to look forward to those times when I was outside.
I’m a writer for a living, which is very sedentary, and my office is in the loft with only a tiny window, so just being exposed to fresh air and sunlight made an incredibly positive difference. Sure, I would be tired at times by the end of the day, but it was accompanied by a feeling of satisfaction.
It is undoubtedly true that outdoor activity is incredibly good for both physical and mental health. It helps us connect better to our environments and our local communities, and it just increases our overall wellbeing in a really obvious and easy way. You don’t have to do 10k steps in a day – every moment spent outdoors is time well spent.
I was absolutely delighted to raise money for Venture Scotland’s invaluable work while also making myself feel better. Now I just need to think of something to do for next year’s campaign!
Doug surpassed his step target by over 80,000 steps – that’s over another week’s worth! He raised a phenomenal £1,435 to support young people this year.
If you’d like to join Doug in 2026, let Katie know, and she’ll be in touch when registrations open! Whether taking on a race in September, or an action every day, make your miles matter by signing up for Venture Round Scotland in September 2026.
You can read more about Doug’s own amazing work here – dougjohnstone.com.