YOUR gran’s right, walking really is the best exercise: it doesn’t cost you a penny (unlike fancy gym membership) and it gets you exactly where you need to go.
And now there’s no excuse not to get pounding the pavements, because the Get Walking, Keep Walking initiative - in association with the Lesbian and Gay Foundation - are running the Gay City Strollers programme to get you active for the year ahead.
The first outing of the series took place last Saturday, but there’s still time to get involved and, best of all, it’s completely free.
“We’ll be walking five different one hour routes around the city centre and all participants receive a free step counter and support pack,” explains project co-ordinator Jen Green.
Get Walking, Keep Walking is an urban walking project developed by The Ramblers Association to increase regular independent walking among people in Manchester which has been running since April 2008, but this is the first time it has created a package tailored specifically to the LGBT community.
Ardwick Green
The various routes will take in Castlefield Wharves, Ardwick Green Park, Miles Platting and the River Medlock, using canal tow paths, parks, gardens, quiet streets and a few busier roads.
“You can walk at your own pace, and there’s motivational workshops built around each walk, too, where we’ll be discussing different topics such as the benefits of walking, the barriers people face to taking part in exercise and how walking can overcome many of these,” says Jen.
After the initial introductory sessions, you’ll be provided with support to create your own programme of walks, before meeting up again in week 12 to see how everyone’s doing.
This is a great way to see parts of the city that perhaps you’ve never visited before and improve your fitness level, so it’s time to dig out those Nikes…
