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

Young Hearts and Minds

It's a recurrent theme that Cumbria is a county of extremes: Its mix of rural, sometimes remote communities juxtaposed against industrial landscape and pockets of urban sprawl is just one physical aspect affecting our daily lives.

Yesterday saw publication of the third Annual Report by our Director of Public Health, which addresses the impact of such factors or 'health inequalities' upon our local population. Measuring exactly how inequalities affect a large number of people is a process too complex to detail here, but the elements themselves which enhance or endanger well-being are universal: The quality of family life, education, housing, employment, economic status, proximity to amenities, plus neighbourhood and community 'spirit' all have a bearing on our own individual health. From a public health perspective, indeed no man is an island.

This year's report looks particularly at mental illness, which accounts for a fifth of all diseases in the UK and ranks even higher than cancer or heart disease. One key concern raised was that thirty thousand children in Cumbria could be at risk of developing poor mental health, as emotional problems in early years often undermine long-term health. As a result, the new report recommends greater emphasis and investment into children’s emotional wellbeing.


NHS Cumbria’s Director of Public Health, Dr John Ashton, said: “As we prevent the physical causes of ill health and early death, the emotional and psychological side has become more prominent. We spend a lot of resource making sure babies are healthy, but by the time children leave school, around 10-20 per cent are in trouble of one kind or another; either emotional, behavioural or lifestyle due to obesity, alcohol or drugs."

“This is where a lot of the inequality in health comes from. We need to make sure
that we are doing our best by the next generation. That begins with planned parenthood, and more support for parents. In this age of fragmented extended families, the support that used to be on hand isn’t around in many cases."

“We therefore need to build on the support that’s available through Sure Start, health visitors, children’s centres and of course schools. Through these parents need help to set boundaries, provide good guidance for children and get them into good habits for life. The cost of not doing this from delinquency, crime and poor health is vast."

Dr Ashton continued: “All children need mental health coping skills, a personal life plan, and a passion for something that isn’t going to get them into trouble."

Read the report in full here.

A problem shared, problem solved

If you're one of the thousands of people who gave up smoking as 2009 became 2010, how's it going? Don't be discouraged if your resolve has wavered or even gone the way of an abandoned January sale banner. The road to a nicotine-free life can often be a rocky one without that old coping mechanism to fall back on, so it's important to find new ways to relieve stress as well as get solid support with the goal of giving smoking for good.

Those who have struggled with quitting usually gather some valuable insights along the way about what really challenges their ability to go smoke-free. Is it cravings, the same old routine or stress that triggers a relapse? Knowing these can make a big difference in achieving your goal.

Don't forget too, the reasons why you wanted to give up in the first place. Some of the most common ones are:

• Your family are getting worried about your habit;
• Financially you'd be much better off;
  
• Your kids' - or even pets' - health is suffering;
• You're sick of smelling of smoke all the time...
• ...or maybe you just want to lead a healthier life.

Whether you fancy trying a (new) form of nicotine replacement therapy or if you want someone to talk to with real understanding of how hard it can be, the Stop Smoking Service is there to help. Contact them on 01900 324222 or text 'QUIT' to 82540.

One popular approach is to meet together in a group, run by your local Stop Smoking Advisor. There's nothing like a roomful of people who share that common goal to help boost your own motivation to stay stopped. Here's how it works:




If you'd like more information on groups or any of the free services provided by our Stop Smoking Advisors, ring the helpline. The number again is 01900 324222. And don't give up giving up!

Always Best2Know

One of our current campaigns is 'Best2Know', urging adults under 25 to take a chlamydia test as part of a national screening programme.

Unlike other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), chlamydia is a very commonly-occuring infection, as it can often go unnoticed with no symptoms at all.

Across England, an average 10% of all 16 to 24 year olds have chlamydia, while in Cumbria, 720 people tested positive for chlamydia out of more than 9,000 tested back in 2008.

For anyone squeamish about having a test, chlamydia screening is simple, fast and painless, as a urine sample is all that's required. The sample can then either be handed in at the local GP surgery or nearest sexual health clinic. Alternatively, it can also be posted straight to a lab in a pre-paid envelope which is part of screening kit, available free to anyone aged 15 to 24.



Should the test result return positive, the person will be contacted in total confidentiality via their mobile phone and advised how to get treatment. A week's course of antibiotics is usually all that's needed to clear chlamydia.

Jane Muller is NHS Cumbria’s Associate Director for Public Health. She said: “Chlamydia is a big problem as it’s widespread in young people as they often don’t know they’ve got it so continue to pass it on to new or multiple partners. If left untreated it can have serious long-term consequences, particularly for women where it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies and infertility.

“The best way to check if you’ve caught Chlamydia through unprotected sex is by having a simple and painless urine test. This is why we’re asking everyone in Cumbria under 25 to get tested, as it’s the only way you’ll know.”

You can get a chlamydia testing kit by visiting your GP, local participating pharmacy, sexual health clinic, by calling 01228 608036 (or 608035) or by filling in a form online at http://www.best2know.co.uk.

The Gathering

After what seems like months ago when we began putting word around, the very first get-together of our Cumbrian Young People's Health Panel is finally upon us and will be held this Saturday.

Colleagues in Public Engagement and Childrens' Services have gathered together a good mix of ages, personalities and experience to help tell the county's NHS how they want their services shaped.

It'll be a fascinating process to see how this group of young strangers works through the challenge of being asked to be themselves and begin to express their views against a backdrop of a very personal, common theme. Health care can easily polarise adults' opinion, so the two staff are prepared to be surprised, impressed and explore new ways of thinking in equal measure.

Stop Smoking Widget

If you're in your mid-twenties or a parent of someone around that age, you might remember the Tamagotchi craze. A little plastic toy with an LCD screen which required you to look after a creature every few hours. These days, things have moved on with gadgets - or more specifically, widgets for your computer desktop - looking after us.

Possibly one of the most genuinely useful freebies around on the internet, this gives you daily messages of encouragement, keeps track of how much money you're saving and counts how many days it's been since your last cigarette: All great motivators for staying smokefree.


Get it from nhs.uk's Tools section here and click on 'download for windows' (or Mac)

If you'd rather have some human support in giving up, there's free, local advice and support available from Cumbria Stop Smoking Service:

Telephone - 01900 324 222
Text ‘QUIT’ to 82540

or visit the Cumbria Stop Smoking Service website.

Vintage Good Advice

As relevant now as it ever was, this is from the 1948 National Health Service Public Information Film, 'Coughs and Sneezes'.

This clip shows how to reduce the spread of disease from sneezing and coughing. Today, this is known as respiratory hygiene or 'cough etiquette' and is an important way to reduce the spread of diseases such as swine flu. For a modern version of this educational film, watch the creative video, Why Don't We Do It In Our Sleeves ? at http://www.coughsafe.com/media.html

(from markdcatlin on youtube)