Walking is good for our minds, bodies and neighbourhoods. Spring is a perfect time to get out and get walking – and it’s FREE!!!
Walking has so many benefits for our wellbeing, including:-
Physical Wellbeing
Good for our heart, muscles and joints, and can lower risk of some conditions e.g. dementia, certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease and depression.
Walking can also help you lose weight.
Mental Wellbeing
Walking gives you energy, helps you feel happy, can reduce stress, improves self-esteem, helps you feel more positive and can relieve anxiety and depression.
Connections
It’s a great way to socialise and connect with others, and all the family can get involved.
It’s also a great way to connect with nature and discover new places.
It is recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, and just 20 minutes walking per day can make a huge difference to our health and wellbeing.
Why not try taking a walk at lunchtime or in a morning and feel the benefits yourself?
Another great thing about walking is that you can incorporate it into your daily life e.g. walking to school or shops, walking and talking with friends or taking the stairs instead of a lift etc. Build your strength, start small and work your way up to longer walks if you need to, going at your own pace.
There are lots of easy to access places to walk in and around Darnall and Tinsley e.g. High Hazels Park, Tinsley Park golf course, Bowden Wood, so why not take a visit? The link below is a walk starting from Darnall Community Park – it is just over 2 miles long, taking in the Canal and Olympic Legacy Park: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wjGjDuwYYjumW2ZQcVTqOz3RDu5qo1zr&usp=sharing
If you fancy a group walk, why not join our Health Walk in Darnall on a Mondays at 11.00am (ring 0114 249 6315 to register) or watch this space for new group walks coming soon.
As lockdown eases if you fancy going further afield, have a look here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/parks-sport-recreation
to see details of parks and green spaces in Sheffield.
Or if you’re feeling adventurous, have a look at:
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/home
and public transport details:
We are keen to encourage connecting with nature whilst walking and have attached a daily diary to help motivate you to get started or increase your walking, not just in May but beyond. Challenge yourself to do 20 minutes walking as part of your daily exercise.
There are lots of useful websites to with ideas and resources to help motivate you, e.g. https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/
We would love you to send us any pictures of walks or if you have any walking ideas or routes to share, please let us know!