www.ramblers.org.uk

First Steps

Want to start walking? Then follow our guide!

Walking is free, fun, sociable and anyone can do it. Walking regularly can help you keep fit, reduce stress and control your weight. And it's the best way of exploring your local area.

You don't have to travel to the countryside to walk -- even in cities you'll find lots of good places to walk within easy reach. Walking is much more convenient and flexible than going to the gym and you can even walk on short everyday transport trips as a cheap and pollution-free alternative to the car.

The links on this page will help you get started.

Help and advice for complete beginners

Get Walking Keep Walking helps people in big cities do more regular local walking to improve their health and well-being. It provides free locally based 12-week walking programmes combining information and motivation with led walks and other activities.

Anyone can walk their way to health with the help of our Take30 pages, packed full of practical advice including a 10-week walking programme to get you started..

Finding places to walk locally

Our Walking for you pages have practical advice and tips on finding local easy walks, an introduction to countryside walking and advice for people with disabilities

Walking with a led group

Health walks

Health walks are very short, easy led walks aimed at beginners and people who are unfit. They are often run by local councils and the local health service. For more information, contact the following organisations:

Easy walks

Many Ramblers Groups now offer shorter walks at an easier pace, ideal for people who are relatively fit or have been on health walks and now want something a little more challenging.

Other Ramblers walks

You can find details of hundreds of other walks led by Ramblers volunteers, including more challenging countryside walks, on our online Group Walks Finder.

Getting children to do more walking

You'll find some quick hints and tips in Take30 and more detailed advice in our Walking for everyone  pages, including information about child carriers and pushchairs, walking when pregnant and lists of books of child friendly walks

If you live in South London, have a young family and want to improve the health and well-being of you and your children, then our free Little Legs Big Strides programme could help.

Advice for people with disabilities

You'll find comprehensive and authoritative advice for people with asthma, blind and partially sighted people, deaf and hard of hearing people, people with diabetes, people with epilepsy, people with limited mobility and wheelchair users in our Walking for everyone pages.

Further information

Once you get started walking you'll find our walking information pages indispensable, with practical advice on walking gear, health and safety, maps and navigation, access arrangements for walkers, finding transport and accommodation and organising walking events; and details of popular trails and routes, parks and countryside areas.

This First Steps page is a Ramblers promoting walking project. Read more about our promoting walking work in Great Britain.