Walking your way to health

Walking is a fantastic way to improve your health and wellbeing. A brisk 10 minute walk a day, fast enough to get your heart pumping, can be counted as part of your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercice (as recommended by the NHS.)  Walking can help you lose weight and tone your body, boost your levels of vitamin D, make you feel happier and more energetic.

Walking is about so much more than just increasing your fitness levels, although it will certainly do that. And there are options for everyone. Your can build walking in to your everyday life instead of driving everywhere: use stairs instead of the lift; walk to the shops; take a lunchtime walk when you are at work; walk as part of your journey to work – you can always park further away or get of the bus / train a few stops earlier; walk the kids to school – it’s better for them too. You can choose to walk alone, or go for a stroll with friends or family. You can take a walk locally or find an area of countryside to explore.

If you have been immobile for a while, walking is an excellent way to start improving levels of fitness and mobility. There are lots of free walking groups across Essex where you can walk at your own pace with qualified instructors on hand to assist and ensure your safety. Check out our Health and Fitness Walks in Essex Events for more information.

For those who enjoy walking in the countryside in the company of like-minded individuals, you might also like to consider joining a local Ramblers Group.