Together Instead of Alone: Why There Are Walking Clubs

On a Friday evening, a procession of walkers makes its way through the twilight in downtown Dresden. Young and older people walk side by side. Some hold a drink cup in their hands, some are adorned with string lights, and others have their dogs with them. In small groups, they chat—some still reserved, others already lively.

What passersby can see here in downtown Dresden is the fledgling Dresden Walking Club, which Konrad Höferth says he founded in July of this year. “Simply because I wanted to meet new people myself, since my circle of friends is already very limited,” says Höferth. All the friends he has, he says, he met through work.

A New Format, but Not a Boom

Walking clubs are gaining popularity through social media: Little by little, they’re popping up in more and more cities, including Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, and Oldenburg. According to organizers, some events draw hundreds of people. 

Despite their rapid spread, sports and social psychologist Jens Kleinert from the German Sport University in Cologne wouldn’t call it a boom: “I’d simply describe it as a new format that nicely complements the entire range of available activities in a pleasant, friendly way.”

Overcoming the Hesitation to Approach People

In Dresden, a so-called “awareness team” knows the route, leads the group, and is available as a point of contact at all times. A facilitator asks questions or assigns tasks along the way to help participants strike up conversations. “Everyone wants the same thing but just doesn’t dare. We make sure that doesn’t become an obstacle to actually getting to know new people,” says Höferth, explaining this support. “By the halfway point of the walk, absolutely everyone has found someone to chat with and maybe even made a new friend.”

Vi-Anh, 26, discovered the club on Instagram and has been participating since the second walk. She had planned to bring a friend to her first meeting. But her friend backed out, so she went alone. “I actually felt really nervous at first, but that went away pretty quickly,” she recalls. “It didn’t take even two minutes before the first people approached me.” Since then, she’s already made new friends through the walking club.

Exercise Makes It Easier to Connect

People don’t walk here just to rack up steps, Höferth explains: “It’s actually more about connecting, and walking is just the reason why people meet up.” That’s why the group only walks about three kilometers. “Anyone can do that,” says Höferth. 

“Physical activity makes it easier to connect because you’re doing something together. And that’s naturally always easier than if you were just meeting for the sake of meeting—instead, you meet to do something together,” explains sports and social psychologist Kleinert.

He also sees the low performance expectations as a factor in the popularity of walking clubs. They’re a sort of counterpoint to performance-oriented trend sports like Hyrox or CrossFit, he says.

A format in which everyone can participate

Höferth wants to make participation as accessible as possible. That’s why the routes are short and accessible. He seeks sponsors for each walk so he can offer drinks and snacks.

Nelly is part of Höferth’s awareness team and joins every walk. “At 45, I’m kind of the ‘mom’ of the group,” she jokes. She has made it her special mission “to always keep people with disabilities and the older generation in mind, and to ensure there are accessible routes.” According to organizer Höferth, wheelchair users also participate in every walk.

Walking Against Loneliness

Expert Kleinert explains that loneliness has become a growing problem in society, one that initiatives like the walking clubs are trying to address. According to a panel study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) from 2025, 19 percent of Germans feel lonely sometimes or more often—before the pandemic, that figure was only 14 percent.

According to Höferth, social media also plays a role in this. He explains: “It’s super easy to connect with anyone, but it’s just so superficial—you’re not actually friends in real life.” He sees this reflected in the walking club as well. Kleinert adds that it’s not enough for people to have connections via social media. “That’s different from having physical contact and really feeling someone right next to you.”