Walk your way to better health

The significant benefits that walking can have on our health is the focus of the first regional Walking for health seminar, organised by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) in partnership with local physical activity coordinators.

Today's event, held at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre in Craigavon, will examine how to further develop the Walking for health initiative and encourage those who take little or no physical activity to participate in short walks.

Research shows that 70% of adults in Northern Ireland do not get enough physical activity, of whom 23% are sedentary. ^1,2 Walking is one of the best forms of physical activity to promote to inactive people, and it is easier to start and sustain than other activities.

Nicola Browne, Senior Manager for Public Health at the HPA, said: "Walking is accessible to most people regardless of age, income, location and ability. It's easy to fit into your day-to-day life, the risk of injury is low, you don't need any special equipment and the health benefits are considerable.

"Physical activity such as walking helps to reduce our risk of many illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, and it can help control weight and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Inactive people who move to moderate activity such as walking will experience greater health gains than people who move from moderate to vigorous activity."

The Walking for health initiative was introduced in 2001 to encourage people to participate in regular short walks in their communities. Since then, approximately 1,500 people have been trained as volunteer walk leaders and over 100 new walking groups have been established across Northern Ireland.

A number of local walking groups were highlighted as positive examples at the seminar and feature in a new resource of case studies for walk leaders, which was launched at today's event.

Kim Kensett, Physical Activity Coordinator with the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, has been involved in the Walking for health initiative since it was first introduced in Northern Ireland. Kim said: "The majority of participants on led walks are aged 50 and over, and many had little motivation to go out walking because they didn't know where it was safe or possible to walk, and didn't want to walk alone.

"The Walking for health initiative has overcome these obstacles and has the added bonus of providing enjoyable social contact as well as a number of health benefits. Each participant has a different story to tell on why they started, what they get out of the walks and why they are keen to keep going, and we hope that they will provide inspiration for others to take up walking."

END

Notes to the Editor:
The seminar aims to raise the profile of walking within Northern Ireland and explore the future direction of the Walking for health scheme. It has attracted a wide range of participants from health, leisure, sport, primary care, policy development and the community and voluntary sectors.

For media enquiries contact:
The HPA Press Office on Tel: 028 9031 1611.

1. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Northern Ireland Health and Wellbeing Survey 2005/06. Belfast: NISRA, 2007.
2. Sedentary is defined as having not performed any activity of at least a moderate level, lasting 20 minutes, on at least one occasion in the last week.