Walking is the closest thing to

 perfect exercise!

by Andy Robertson

• Introduction
   
• Walks programme for November, December 2009
   
• Linskill Healthy news
   
• Healthy Walks Photo Gallery

I’m not sure who said that first, but I believe there is a lot of truth to it. Walking does use up energy (burning calories) and walking ‘more than you usually do’ just has to be good for your health.

You may heard or read in the news, that obesity is fast becoming recognised as a ‘growing’ problem – particularly among young people. To put it bluntly, our lifestyles of fast-food, watching telly, sitting at computers, driving everywhere – have made us all fat! Well almost half of us. The problem is that more and more people are becoming what is termed obese – very overweight!

The government is putting a lot of money into ‘fighting’ this by providing access to funds for  local governments, care trusts and some community schools and organisations to set up programmes that encourage more people to take up some form of exercise activity.

Scotland, England and Wales have separate ‘bodies’ to oversee and lead the efforts to increase involvement in healthy exercise. In England ‘Natural England (formerly the countryside agency) in partnership with the Heart Foundation set up ‘Walking the way to Health Initiative’ branded as WHI to set up and promote healthy walking groups in communities across England. The WHI is presently supported by the Department Of Health in setting up and supporting the community ‘health walking’ groups.

Linskill Healthy Walks is one of those community organisations. Formed by a group of people who are either overweight themselves, recovering from illness or just want to help others improve on their fitness and general health levels.

Of course just walking is OK - but to have an effect on your health it should be more than just a ‘stroll down the road’. There are clear guidelines laid down as to what a ‘Healthy Walk’ is. It means basically to walk briskly. In the literature used by WHI to promote walking, it defines brisk walking as:

‘Brisk’ walking means walking so that you breathe a little faster, feel warmer and have a slightly faster heart beat. You should still be able to talk. If you can’t carry on a conversation then you’re going too fast! 

The current (medical) recommendation for physical activity is just 30 minutes a day of moderate activity, such as - brisk walking. That’s all it takes to feel the difference.

You should aim at 30 minutes a day but you don’t have to do them all in one go to start with. You could walk for ten minutes three times a day or 15 minutes twice a day at first. The most important thing is that you start ‘where you’re at’ and build up gradually.

WHI defines a Health Walk as being an up-to-an-hour walk involving brisk walking at some point. Ideally you set of at a decent pace for 10-15 minutes then gradually increase the pace (getting a bit warm and breathing heavier!) for the middle part of the walk, then slow the pace down to the end. As in all exercise, ‘warming down’ is just as important as ‘warming up’!

But of course – we are all different! What feels like a gentle stroll to some can be like a military route-march to others! Which is why WHI walking groups are important.

Before any walk all walkers have to fill in a health screening questionnaire and walk leaders will talk to new walkers to find out what they are capable of. This can alert the walk leaders to anyone who may not be able to do the walk at all or what walking-speed is best for them. 4 miles per hour might seem average – but for some people that could be too fast and they struggle or even hurt themselves. On the other hand some people find that far too slow – and walking slow can be just as painful to some people.

It’s important to remember it is a health walk! Groups like Linskill have several Walk Leaders involved and can allow for and cope with walkers at different levels of fitness. It is important that anyone who wants to take up health walks as a way of improving their health, can join a WHI Credited group with the confidence in knowing that they will be looked after and helped during the whole walk.