Health and wellbeing activity programme in Saughton Park
To book your place contact Alan@healthallround.org.uk or call 0131 337 1376
Green Heart Parks events
Tag: Walking
Stories by the Sea
SEA STORIES at Wardie Bay next week!
When: Thursday 26th August – 11am – 12:30pm
Where: An Eco-therapy Group Event at Wardie Bay/Granton Pier
If you would like to join please email Jenna: jennacorker@pchp.org.uk
Join us a Wardie Bay… Connecting with nature is good for us.
Eco-therapy practitioner Stephen McCabe Nature Therapy Online is passionate about the ways that Scotland’s traditional myths and stories can connect us with our beautiful landscapes.
Join us at Wardie Bay as Stephen shares a traditional story from the area related to the sea.
We will then, as a group, take a relaxing walk and share our own stories with each other related to the sea.
Personal memories are welcome, as well as our favourite stories with water themes!
Group activities and walking will last from 11-12, followed by lunch by the water. The lunches and snacks are on us!
If you would like any extra support to access this event please let Jenna know. Email Jenna at jennacorker@pchp.org.uk
Heart Research UK: Healthy Heart Tips
Getting Fit Whilst Getting to Work
Many more of us who have been working from home will be set to return to offices either part-time or full-time over the coming weeks and months (writes Dr HELEN FLAHERTY).
There has never been a better time to start integrating exercise into your commute, as we begin to establish new routines both at work and home. With this in mind, here are some tips for doing just that:
Park further from work
Not everyone lives within cycling distance of their workplace, and you may rely on a car to get from A to B.
If this is the case, try parking further from work and cycling the last part of your commute.
Track your distance
It can be really motivating to see how far you have cycled over a week or month and you may be surprised about just how far you can go with an extra few miles each day!
Apps like Strava are great for tracking how far you have cycled over a long period of time.
Adapt your routine
If getting on your bike is simply a matter of starting out a little earlier, consider what might have to change within your routine to accommodate for this.
This may be getting to bed earlier, preparing your meals the night before, or having a lighter breakfast before you set off.
Invest in a new bike
Buying some new equipment can be a great first step towards committing to a new habit.
If you find your rusty old bike is putting you off commuting, you may look to see if your employer is signed up to the Cycle-to-Work scheme where you can get a brand new bike at a lower, monthly cost than you may otherwise pay.
You may also be able to donate your old bike to a local bike renovation scheme.
North Edinburgh Mens Walking Group: first steps this Thursday!
Local #NorthEdinburgh men, local walks, meet local:
Pilton Community Health Project at 73 Boswall Parkway just round the corner from Royston Wardieburn Community Centre!
10:30 on Thursday this week
New Edinburgh Walking and Cycling Day Trip Routes launched
John Muir Way launches new routes
If you’re seeking inspiration for outdoor activities this weekend, during the holidays or on your next day off, the John Muir Way may have the answer. A selection of one-day and half-day routes has been created across central Scotland, to be explored on foot or by bike.
They include:
Each is based around a part of the longer John Muir Way coast to coast trail and is designed to offer a micro-adventure in a local area, on a route that will get you back to your starting point.
Using the John Muir Way and local paths, you’ll find everything from big loops to short strolls, taking in castles, beaches and often the option of public transport home for tired legs.
The day trips have all been graded according to difficulty and distances range from a family-friendly 4.5 mile walk up to a 27 mile cycle. You’ll find maps and a wealth of information on recommended places to visit on each route on the John Muir Way website at: www.johnmuirway.org/day-trips
‘Hidden Treasure’ to be Found
To celebrate the launch of the Day Trips and provide a little extra incentive to get out exploring, there will be ‘treasure’ of John Muir Way merchandise – including water bottles, caps, badges and route passports – stashed at a selection of attractions, cafes and other businesses along the route.
Goodies can be claimed by visitors doing any John Muir Way Day Trip or coast-to-coast route section.
To claim a prize, walkers and cyclists just need to take a photo of themselves next to a John Muir Way signpost or waymarker and show it at one of the participating treasure locations. Each location has prizes for the first ten treasure hunters, so there are plenty of chances to claim a souvenir of
your trip.
For more information on how to take part, visit www.johnmuirway.org/treasure
Support for John Muir Way Day Trips
The development of these day trips was boosted by funding from several sources, including VisitScotland and the ‘Scotland Loves Local’ Fund administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership.
Scotland’s Town’s Partnership Chief Officer Phil Prentice said: “These day trips along the John Muir Way sound brilliant – with something for everyone. I am delighted that we have been able to support them through the Scotland Loves Local Fund.
“They are a great example of ways in which people are being encouraged to embrace and enjoy our brilliant countryside, supporting all kinds of businesses and attractions as they do. It’s a boost for our health, local communities and the economy.”
Neil Christison, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “With so many people staying in the UK this year there has never been a better time to appreciate all the wonderful locations and attractions we have on our doorstep.
“Whether it’s discovering somewhere new or experiencing an old favourite in a completely new way, now is your time to enjoy the unique experiences that a holiday in Scotland offers.
“These new one day and half day routes on the John Muir Way provide a great option for making the most out of holidays at (or close to) home in a responsible and sustainable manner.”
There are John Muir Way prizes to be claimed at locations across the route.
The John Muir Way Day Trips launch has been funded by the Scottish Government ‘Scotland Loves Local’ Fund administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership; by the Scottish Government and the European Community through the LEADER 2014–2020 Programme; and by the VisitScotland Sector and Destination Operational and Market Readiness Fund.
Ageing Well and Keeping Active
The award-winning project, Ageing Well, run by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with NHS Lothian, will be starting two new activities in July, to support people to become, and remain active in later life.
Starting on Thursday, 8th July, there will be a regular Walk around Saughton Walled Garden with a volunteer walk leader.
The walk is suitable for people who have not walked much before, and are looking to be more active, or are returning from injury or illness. The walk will take up to 30 minutes on flat ground or gentle slopes with firm surfaces and generally no steps.
Register your interest with active@edinburghleisure.co.uk. Participants should meet at the Garden Bistro, at 10.50am for an 11am start. A contribution of £1 is welcomed towards the activity.
There will also be an 11 weeks’ Cycle Skills Course, starting on Monday, 12th July. This will meet at Saughton Sports Centre initially, with a further 4 weeks on the cycle paths leaving from Ainslie Park Leisure Centre and a further 4 weeks leaving from Meggetland. Good quality bikes and helmets are supplied to trainees so there is no need to own your own.
This course is suitable for those who wish to take up cycling again after a lengthy absence but lack confidence. The course will give participants an opportunity to improve confidence on a bike; increase bike-handling skills; put in to practice the skills they are learning; and the introduction to cycle paths, on the last two weeks of the course.
The course is very relaxed, sociable, and fun and is based on the Cycling Scotland Bikeability material adapted for adults. A contribution of £2 per week is asked from trainees to help towards the running costs of the programme.
Pre-booking a slot on the course is essential – active@edinburghleisure.co.uk
Ageing Well also has a walking programme, which has eight health walks across the city on different days, aimed at different fitness levels.
Further information about the different walks can be found at:
https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/ageing-well-walks
Since their activities reopened after COVID-19 restrictions lifted again at the beginning of April, they have been supporting 120 older adults to be active again. The emphasis is on meeting new people and making physical activity accessible and enjoyable. All activities are either led by or supported by fully trained volunteers, who are all older adults themselves.
For further information, to register your interest and/or to book a slot, contact the Active Communities team on active@edinburghleisure.co.uk
People wanted to help make a new national walking network
During the Spring 2020 lockdown volunteers from across the nation plotted a network of walking routes that connect all of Great Britain’s towns and cities.
Without leaving home over 7,000 ‘Slow Ways’ walking routes were mapped using existing paths, trails and roads. Combined, the routes stretch for 100,000km and lap the equator – twice!
The team behind Slow Ways is now looking for people from every town and city in Great Britain to walk and review the routes to make sure they work in practice.
Dan Raven-Ellison started the Slow Ways initiative just before the country went into lockdown at the start of last year.
“The Slow Ways walking network will be something we can all enjoy for generations to come. Working from their living rooms and kitchens, volunteers have done an incredible job of drafting the network, but now we need to make sure it works on the ground, quite literally.
“To do that, we need people to head out and walk all the proposed routes to check them.
“Making use of country paths, under-used ways and city streets, the idea is to make it easier for people to plan walking journeys between neighbouring places and combine routes to go on longer distance walks.
“Some people will use Slow Ways to simply see friends in neighbouring towns. Others will use them to get to a festival, for a walking challenge to raise money for charity, or as time to reflect while exploring nature.
“Millions of us love walking – it’s such a simple thing, and it benefits so many of us in so many different ways. What if we had a proper national walking network that inspired more people to walk more often, further, and for more purposes?”
Thousands of people are needed to put the Slow Ways network through its paces whilst assessing routes for accuracy, safety and accessibility.
To find out more and to help simply visit the Slow Ways website (www.slowways.org), choose a route, walk it and leave a review.
All of the kilometres walked and feedback shared by users will help to establish a network that’s not only trusted, but widely used to connect people and communities across Great Britain.
Find out more at www.slowways.org
Scottish Government: Reclaim the joy of walking to school
The Daily Mile Foundation, Living Streets Scotland, Paths for All, and the Active Nation Commissioner, in partnership with the Scottish Government, are calling on families to reclaim the joy in everyday movement on the journey to school.
As schools return after months of being closed, the return of primary pupils to schools in Scotland is an opportunity for children and families to start the day active and energised, by choosing to make the journey by walking, wheeling, skipping, scooting or cycling instead of by private car.
The call is supported by a range of sport, health and physical activity organisations and is part is a strategic approach by the Scottish Government to support active journeys to school.
The campaign supports Scotland’s ambition to become the first Daily Mile Nation, and the Scottish Government’s Clear Your Head campaign by encouraging families to connect and chat with others on an active school run.
Over the last year, many families rediscovered the joy of getting outside and walking, cycling and exploring their local areas.
During lockdown the number of adults visiting the outdoors at least once a week had increased to 80% by August 2020.
These increases are also seen on the journey to school: in September 2020 more than half of pupils in Scotland walked, cycled or scooted to school, and the number of pupils walking to school increased by 3.8% on the previous year. With active travel at its highest level for ten years, families have an opportunity to lock in the benefits of an active journey to school.
Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Public Health and Sport said: “I’m a keen runner and walker and even if I can only fit in a quick ten minutes around the block in the morning it has such a positive impact on my day.
“It’s been great to see the increase in walking running, cycling and scooting and we should build on these positive habits so that they become a routine part of the day. Not only do these activities have many benefits for our physical and mental health, they can also improve our environment.”
Lee Craigie, Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner said: “It’s time for a cultural shift in how we undertake our everyday short journeys, in particular the school run.
“Instead of this daily journey continuing to be a stressful chore that clogs our streets and lungs with vehicles and their emissions, we must all play our part in creating the sort of environments where children (and their parents and teachers) can start their day with fresh air and exercise.
“When walking, cycling, scooting and wheeling to school becomes the norm for everyone, we embed healthy, sustainable, fair travelling behaviours in our communities.”
Families should adhere to social distancing rules and wear face coverings at the school gates.
To create more space for safe interactions and social distancing, schools and local authorities can consider implementing traffic-free school streets during the busiest times.
Firms should encourage their staff to get walking this winter
– Accreditation and challenges available to help employers focus on health and wellbeing –
SCOTLAND’s walking charity and public health minister have jointly called on employers to empower staff to take daily walks within guidelines to boost physical and mental wellbeing.
With lockdown rules tightening and fewer reasons to leave the house, Paths for All believe regular exercise has never been more important to maintain both physical and mental wellbeing, especially for those working from home.
A study conducted by University College London has reported two-fifths of people say they are doing less exercise now than during the first lockdown back in March, with individuals stating they have found this period tougher than ever before.1
Now, the charity and new Public Health Minister Mairi Gougeon are asking employers to look at ways to enable their staff to take screen breaks, be more active and enjoy getting outdoors more during the working day.
The charity offers bespoke accreditation and challenges tailored to an organisations requirement to help get their workforce moving. The Walk at Work Award and Step Count Challenge both look to make walking fun and interactive by virtually connecting colleagues.
Under current restrictions, outdoor exercise is permitted, but individuals must walk alone, with their household, or can meet one other person from another household while distancing. Exercise should be planned to avoid busy areas.
Minister for Public Health and Sport Mairi Gougeon said: “The current restrictions, on top of shorter days and poor weather are all having an impact on our wellbeing at the moment. But taking a break from work to get some fresh air and get moving is one of the best ways to boost your mood, and keep fit.
“Right now it’s more important than ever to find time to focus on your health and wellbeing, and I’d encourage all employers to get involved and do what they can to support people. There are lots of creative ways to encourage home workers to stay physically active, such as introducing fun challenges or sharing resources.”
Firms are being encouraged to look into dedicated screen-free time initiatives such as a fake commute, whereby teams are encouraged to take exercise in the middle of the day in order to get their steps up throughout the working day.
Research has shown that physical activity helps to reduce anxiety and depression, and alleviate negative moods whilst improving self-esteem and cognitive function, with those who are active during their working day deemed as more productive.
Ian Findlay CBE, Chief Officer at Paths for All, said: “We must do what we can to keep Scotland moving, safely and responsibly, throughout this lockdown, to ward off potential mental and physical health crises.
“Walking helps boosts our mood, our fitness, our productivity and our relationships. At this moment in time, it’s a chance to take stock and appreciate our local communities’ walking routes.
“With most of the country working from home and exercise being one of the few essential reasons for leaving your home, it is the perfect time to get into walking to look after our physical, mental and social health.”
The Walk At Work Award is aimed to reverse the trend of inactive workplaces and the accreditation supports businesses in tackling issues of staff wellbeing and corporate carbon footprint, while enhancing productivity.
Employers receive one-to-one support on how to create a walking culture at work as well as examples of best practice and where to find extra help and resources
The Step Count Challenge is made up of teams of five and has one simple aim of encouraging people to walk more to feel happier and healthier, with participants having access to leader boards, goal setting and team chat to keep them motivated and connected.
Businesses can register a team of five for just £30 – and can customise their own challenges with tailored branding and personalised messaging.
Paths for All believes regular walking is key to leading a happy and healthy life, and it’s even more important for people to continue enjoying short, local walks where it is safe and appropriate to do so with to the huge array of associated benefits.
Paths for All’s focus is clear: it wants to get Scotland walking: everyone, every day, everywhere.
For more information on Paths for All, visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk
Search for lockdown’s walking heroes begins
National charity Living Streets is asking people to nominate local groups or individuals who have gone the extra mile to improve their community for walking this year.
Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, is looking for inspiring entrants for the Charles Maher Award – Walking Champion 2021.
The award was set up in honour of Charles Maher, a campaigner and longstanding supporter of Living Streets – formerly the Pedestrians Association – and recognises an individual, group or organisation who has helped achieve a better walking environment and got people walking.
After a year which has seen streets improved so people can walk while socially distancing and seen more people walking for exercise, the charity is keen to celebrate the people who have made this possible.
Mary Creagh, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We know there are some dedicated people out there who work tirelessly for their local community to transform their streets into safer and more attractive places.
“We want to recognise the brilliant work they’ve done which has helped people to stay healthy, happy and connected during the pandemic.”
Individuals, local groups, organisations or local authorities can self-nominate themselves or others for the Living Streets Charles Maher Award.
Nominations close on 16 February 2021. The nomination form is on the Living Streets website: www.livingstreets.org.uk/maher
The award will be presented at Living Streets’ National Walking Summit on Thursday 18 March 2021. Full details and ticket information at www.livingstreets.org.uk/NationalWalkingSummit