Walk Your Way to Health in 2007
[22 December 2006]
Are you determined to get in shape in 2007, but can’t stand
the thought of sweating it out in the gym? Then why not
kick-start your New Year’s fitness resolution with the Ramblers’
Association’s 10-week walking programme.
The 10-week plan was devised by the RA as part of its
Take 30 campaign.
This aims to raise awareness of the fact that just 30 minutes of
brisk walking a day can improve your fitness. It’s the perfect
way to fight the flab, shed those extra pounds put on over
Christmas and make regular exercise part of your daily life.
The guide is aimed at complete beginners to walking, starting
with building a stroll into your daily routine by walking to the
corner shop or getting off the bus a stop earlier. Over ten
weeks you gradually increase the pace and distance you walk at.
As well as helping you lose weight, walking can help protect you
from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure,
osteoarthritis, depression, some types of diabetes and colon
cancer. A brisk one-mile walk in 20 minutes burns around 100
calories - as much as swimming for 10 minutes, playing football
for 12 minutes or doing aerobics for 16 minutes. What’s more,
walking is free and you don’t need any special equipment – just
put on comfortable clothes and shoes and step out of your front
door.
And if you want to get the most out of walking, why not
join the Ramblers’
Association. For just £24 a year you get lots of great benefits,
including discounts on walking gear and free access to hundreds
of led walks all over the country every week.
Ruth Wembridge, head of membership for the RA, said: “Many
people join a gym at this time of year, full of good intentions,
only to lapse after a few months or weeks - shedding pounds from
their wallet while the weight continues to pile on. In contrast,
regular walking is easier to build into a busy lifestyle and
requires much less motivation and commitment. It’s also a great
escape from the stress of modern living, and as little as 30
minutes a day can improve your health.”