Walking back to happiness!
IT'S 10,000 steps to happiness and fitness co-ordinator Andrea Madden reckons walking is the easy way to a healthy lifestyle.
Walking has become fashionable again and local councils are urging people to rediscover their feet.
Local health experts are working to show just how easy it can be to become healthier and happier without too much effort - or costly gym memberships.
They are organising special lunchtime walks as well as drawing up packs of walks people can do in their own time.
As a result, the sight of a gang of people walking around East Lancashire town centres with a purposeful stride at lunchtime is now the norm.
Andrea, health and fitness co-ordinator at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "The recommended 10,000 steps a day is enough to keep people healthy without an expensive gym.
"It can be incorporated into daily routines too. People can try the stairs instead of lift, or walk to someone else's desk rather than using the phone. It all adds up. People join gyms with the best of intentions but after six to 10 weeks, most have dropped off because it interferes with their regular routine.
"Walks can be done in a lunch break and, as a result, people tend to stick to it."
The Walking The Way To Health Initiative has helped set up schemes run by councils, across the country.
Experts there reckon regular walking improves confidence, stamina, energy, weight control and life expectancy. It can also reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, bowel cancer, Alzeheimer's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, anxiety and stress.
Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph - 8th September 2004
Walking has become fashionable again and local councils are urging people to rediscover their feet.
Local health experts are working to show just how easy it can be to become healthier and happier without too much effort - or costly gym memberships.
They are organising special lunchtime walks as well as drawing up packs of walks people can do in their own time.
As a result, the sight of a gang of people walking around East Lancashire town centres with a purposeful stride at lunchtime is now the norm.
Andrea, health and fitness co-ordinator at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "The recommended 10,000 steps a day is enough to keep people healthy without an expensive gym.
"It can be incorporated into daily routines too. People can try the stairs instead of lift, or walk to someone else's desk rather than using the phone. It all adds up. People join gyms with the best of intentions but after six to 10 weeks, most have dropped off because it interferes with their regular routine.
"Walks can be done in a lunch break and, as a result, people tend to stick to it."
The Walking The Way To Health Initiative has helped set up schemes run by councils, across the country.
Experts there reckon regular walking improves confidence, stamina, energy, weight control and life expectancy. It can also reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, bowel cancer, Alzeheimer's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, anxiety and stress.
Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph - 8th September 2004
posted by Carole Spiers @ Thursday, September 09, 2004
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