News Release
Your legs need you! Get Walking Day - 30 May 2009
On May 30th the Ramblers is calling everyone in Britain to slip on their trainers, boots, and shoes and join them – no matter what age or ability - for a FREE walking festival to celebrate Get Walking Day 09.
Get Walking Day 09 will see carnival-spirited short walks take place all over Britain in the towns and the countryside alike, to help people of all ages discover the joys of walking and to mark the event. Each walk will be under 5 miles, open to everyone, and will take place over the weekend of May 30th. Many will include refreshments and special events to celebrate the day. Get Walking Day 2009 is a nationwide event that takes place in England, Scotland and Wales.
In Scotland, Dennis Canavan, convener of Ramblers Scotland, will launch Dalgety Bay Library as a community walking hub as part of Walk Homecoming 2009, the first step in our six year programme to encourage everyone in Scotland to be fit and active by 2014, the year of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. In Dundee, Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health and Sport, will be joining local Ramblers on a walk to celebrate Get Walking Day.
Shona Robison MSP said:
“Getting out of the car and off the couch improves our sense of wellbeing and reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke.
“As an enthusiastic walker, I know that walking is an easy, affordable way to fit exercise into everyday life.
“I recently pledged to be active for 30 minutes a day in my own life. Whether it’s taking the long way home, walking to the shops or joining a local initiative like this great event, I believe it is possible for everyone to keep active.”
Alison Turnbull, Promoting Walking Coordinator at Ramblers Scotland, comments:
“Make this May weekend the best ever, by dusting down those shoes, opening your door and getting your friends and family out to join the Ramblers on one of our fun, free, festival events. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much you use your legs, there’s a walk for everyone to enjoy this Get Walking Day.”
“It’s a fantastic, free way to make new friends and make the most of the weekend!”
Now in its second year, Get Walking Day aims to help people discover the joy of walking and promotes the huge mental, physical and mood-boosting benefits that walking can bring. To find a Get Walking Day walk near you visit: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland.
Dennis Canavan comments:
“Free, fun and accessible to all, walking is a perfect form of exercise. Even walking for half an hour five times a week makes a real difference. Make walking part of your life as the more you do, the better you'll feel.”
Alison Turnbull adds:
“Joining Get Walking Day is an excellent way to kick start a lifelong love of walking.”
If you can’t join in with a Get Walking Day walk, but you need some help getting started, then visit our website.
Walking rewards:
- Walking is free! In the current economic downturn, we at the Ramblers welcome anything which is free! A mile is under a 20 minute walk and so you could save some pennies walking instead of using the bus or your car.
- Walking keeps your body fit and your mind healthy. Walking burns as many calories as jogging over the same distance. Furthermore it boosts happiness and reduces stress.
- Walking is good for the environment. If we all walk more and use our cars less, we will significantly reduce carbon emissions which contribute to climate change
For more information contact Alison Turnbull at the Ramblers Scotland office on 01577 861222 or at alison.turnbull@ramblers.org.uk.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Ramblers is at the heart of walking in Britain. Everyone walks, so the Ramblers is for everyone.
- It is Britain’s walking charity. It works to make it easy for everyone to walk, whether in countryside, cities, hills, coasts and on or off the beaten track.
- It is a grass roots network of over 12,000 volunteers who work tirelessly for a walking Britain. For 74 years it has helped build and protect Britain’s 150,000 mile long path network, it runs over 28,000 walks a year, and campaigns for better walking routes and more walking opportunities.
- It holds more than 500 led walks every week, throughout the year, which are free to try, open to everyone, and take place in England, Scotland and Wales in the countryside and the city alike.
