Walk 4 life: Tips to get walking every day

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why Why walk?The first question you might have is “Why should I go for a walk?” The answeris that walking is a great way for families to be up and about, whether it’s walkingto the shops, to school, up stairs, walking the dog or just going for a leisurely strollwith family and friends. It doesn’t need any special equipment and doesn’t costanything either!And since walking doesn’t cause congestion or pollution, whenever you chooseto walk rather than take the car, you’re being kind to our environment as wellas to your health.Top 5 walking factsHere are 5 things you might not know about walking:• It’s easy to think you’re protecting the kidsfrom fumes by keeping them inside the car.But pollution inside can be up to three timesthe level it is outside on the pavement – so stepout and enjoy the fresh air!• If we all swapped one car journey a week forwalking, car traffic would reduce by at least 10%.More than just walkingAnother great thing about walking is that it letsyou do two or more things at once. So whileyou’re out and about you could also be:• Getting to places you need to visit, like work,school or the shops.• Spending time with friends, children and family.Walking and talking go hand-in-hand and youmight even make new friends along the way!• The average person could save £160 every yearby walking instead of driving the journey to school– just think what fun you could have with thatextra money...• Walking just 1 mile burns over 100 calories!• About a third of all the journeys we make are lessthan a mile. A mile is only about a 20 minute walk.It can do you the world of good too• Exploring your local area – it’s the best wayto discover hidden places you might not knoware there.• Enjoying green spaces and nature – fresh air,peace and quiet, and a place for the kids torun around.• Or just taking time to relax by yourself!Because walking helps towards your ‘60 active minutes’ a day, it can reduce your chances of getting seriousillnesses like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the future.We all know how a good walk can help us collect our thoughts, and being out in the fresh air is a great wayto de-stress and improve our mood.
Walking’s just not for me...Here are some common reasons why people feel they can’t go for walks. Are any ofthem the same as your reasons? Hopefully you’ll see that anyone can start walking,whatever they do and wherever they live.“I don’t have the time”Walking is the easiest exercise to fit into a busylifestyle since you can do it anywhere at a timethat suits you. It’s better than sweating on a packedbus or train, or getting stressed in a traffic jam.You’ll still have to make a little effort to find time,but remember active people live longer and have ahealthier old age. So think of your walking time as agood investment!“I don’t know any good placesto walk”Sometimes main roads don’t feel like the nicest andsafest places to walk. But there are lots of quieterstreets, parks, watersides and green spaces even inbusy urban areas if you know where to look forthem. Ask friends if they know good areas to walk,visit your local council’s website or go to yourlibrary and look at maps of your area. You can alsofind lots of organised walks by visiting the ‘Walkingthe Way to Health’ website here to help you findplaces that are fun to get to on foot.“I don’t feel safe on the streets”It’s understandable that people are concerned fortheir personal safety, but it doesn’t have to stopyou enjoying the benefits of walking. If you can,walk with a companion or on an organised walk,and see the section on safety in this guide formore tips on walking safely. Also, the morepeople who walk, the safer the streets will be!“I don’t have anyone to walk with”Ask your family, friends and colleagues if they’reinterested in walking with you. Or try an organisedwalk – you can find out about these by searchingfor them online (www.walkengland.org.uk is a goodplace to start).“My kids won’t walk”Exercise is really important for kids, but it can bedifficult to get them away from indoor activitieslike watching TV. Take a look at the ‘Fun games forevery day walking’ and ‘Fun walking games forparks and woodland’ here for great ideas to makewalking more interesting for them.“I’m too unfit to walk”Walking is a natural and easy exercise that you canstart doing in small amounts and build up slowly.That makes it perfect for people who are very unfitor recovering from an illness. Very few of us are sounfit that we’d endanger ourselves by walking, butif you have any doubts, talk to your doctor first.There are so many good reasonsto start walking, the only thingyou have to do now is choosewhere to go first!
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Walk 4 life: Tips to get walking every day

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