The haptic pleasures of ground-feel: The role of textured terrain in motivating regular exercise

This paper explores the role that somatic or bodily touch-based experience of ground surface textures plays in securing a commitment to health-giving exercise practices, and argues that ground-feel is a neglected and underrated dimension of how environments co-constitute health. Past work has largely either overlooked ground-feel or positioned rough ground solely as a barrier to bodily movement. This research, however, informed by mobile and video ethnographies of walking and mountain biking in Scotland, elaborates a number of ways in which the experience of textured terrain can produce sensory and emotional experiences that motivate regular exercise. The possibility of positive tactile as well as visual experiences of landscapes, including uneven as well as smooth surfaces, ought then to be taken more seriously in designing everyday outdoor environments that encourage the energetic movement of bodies. A key challenge is to identify the optimal mix of textured and smooth ground surfaces to encourage increased energetic engagement for the widest range of users. •Haptic experience of terrain or ground-feel can be a motivator of regular exercise.•Rough or uneven ground is not always or necessarily a barrier to outdoor activity.•Rough or uneven ground can generate a positive ground-feel and therapeutic tactility.•The role of paths expands beyond connectivity, efficiency and ecological protection.