Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, is urging the public to ‘Try20’ and walk for 20 minutes a day throughout National Walking Month which kicks off tomorrow (Monday 1 May).
Living Streets recommends walking as a free, easy and fun way to improve your health. From a lower risk of contracting heart disease, certain cancers, depression and type 2 diabetes, to aiding weight loss and reducing feelings of stress and isolation.
The Chief Medical Officer recommends that adults are active for 150 minutes per week to stay healthy and Living Streets recommends a daily 20 minute walk as a good step towards achieving that.
NHS statistics published in March 2017 revealed that one in four adults aren’t even walking for half an hour a week and levels of obesity have more than tripled since the 90s.
Tompion Platt, Head of Policy and Communications, Living Streets said: “Adding a 20 minute walk into your day is a small change but can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing. You don’t have to go out of your way to exercise, just walk part of your daily journey to work, to the shops, or on the way to school.”
This National Walking Month, Living Streets, surveyed over 2,000 people living in the UK’s largest cities about how walking friendly their local area is. A fifth (20 per cent) of all people surveyed said they would definitely walk more if it were safer and easier. And over three quarters (78 per cent) are in favour of more measures to encourage walking in their area.
This year, the charity is also asking people to visit the Living Streets website to rate their walk and help build a picture of how walkable our streets are.
Tompion Platt continued: “Creating safe walking routes and encouraging more people to walk is vital if we’re going to solve the inactivity crisis we’re facing, protect the future of our health service and reduce dangerous levels of air pollution.
“By rating their walks, people can help us identify what’s needed to improve our streets and create a walking nation where everyone can enjoy the benefits this simple act brings on streets fit for walking.”
Everyone who rates a walk during May will be in with the chance of winning a family city break.
For more information, visit www.livingstreets.org.uk/nwm and follow us on Twitter: @livingstreets#NationalWalkingMonth
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