Step in the Right Direction

After the harshest winter in thirty-one years, our sunny Spring weather presents as a very welcome arrival. Of course, with more daylight in the evenings, it's a lot easier to be tempted outdoors to enjoy a walk after everyday duties.

It's a common assumption to think of your local gym as the first port of call for more physical activity in your life, but stepping out into the Great Outdoors can have worthwhile benefits over and above even the most swish of leisure centres.

If there's any doubt that you're well enough to begin a walking programme, it's always best to check with your GP. If that's not a problem, walking outdoors can help:

• Improve your mental wellbeing: We're so lucky in Cumbria to have such a variety of stunning landscapes to explore, but whether it's a leafy wood, beachside path or a busy urban trail, walking helps to clear the mind and uplift the spirits.

• Awaken your senses: In marked contrast to rushing about in cars or feeling switched off from the world around us, discovering the environment around you on foot offers a self-paced feast for the eyes and mind, whilst connecting you further with your local area.

• Quality time: Going on a walk with friends, family or a walking club is a great way to catch up with each other's company whilst enjoying the surroundings and boosting your health.

• Benefit your bank balance: It’s a rewarding activity that doesn’t cost anything, as long as you have some comfortable shoes.

• Of course, for safety's sake, it's always wise to be mindful of conditions and location, and if you're walking on your own, let someone know where you’re going.

In recognition of how much health benefit we can all get from walking, GPs in Carlisle are working in partnership with Natural England and are referring patients to their Walking For Health scheme:



According to Natural England,

"...the short definition of a health walk is:
a purposeful, brisk walk undertaken on a regular basis

and it can include any walk which is specifically designed and carried out for the purpose of improving an individual's health. It is the relative intensity of the walk for the individual and the regularity of participation that can really have an impact on heart health."

A simple way to work out how briskly you should walk is to aim to walk “fast without overexertion”. You should just about be able to hold a conversation while you are walking - the ‘talk test’.

In addition to specific benefits from being outdoors, a health walk can of course also impact positively on your health by boosting cardiovascular capacity, help ward off heart disease and strengthen bone health. Furthermore, regular walks can help to develop flexibility and confidence in one's mobility, thus also helping to reduce the risk of trips and falls, particularly for mature walkers.

For more information about the benfits of walking for health, check out the links below:

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/everyone/health.html#Benefits
http://www.whi.org.uk