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Northern
Ireland invests in the power of walking
Today
the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland re-launched
its 'Go walking' campaign to encourage more people to take
steps towards increasing physical activity by taking up brisk
walking.
The 'Go
walking' campaign advice is based upon a consensus of national
and international research. The most recent and detailed studies
reveal that brisk walking on most days of the week can halve
a person's risk of developing coronary heart disease and it
is now known to prevent other serious health problems including
osteoporosis, high blood pressure, obesity and Type II diabetes.
Recent research shows that walking is also an ideal way to
control weight. (See notes to editor for references)
Dr Brian
Gaffney, Chief Executive of the Health Promotion Agency said:
"This campaign is aimed at the 70% of our population
who take little or no exercise. Brisk walking for 30 minutes
on most days of the week is a realistic way for these people
to improve their health as it requires nothing more than putting
on walking shoes and heading out the front door.
"Health
organisations and experts throughout the world recognise that
the greatest increase in health benefit comes to inactive
people who start to take regular moderate exercise, such as
brisk walking. It is important to remember that a little activity
is always better than none."
Brisk
walking is classified as a 'moderate' intensity of physical
activity by the Health Promotion Agency, yet it is an easy
way to break out of sedentary, health damaging habits. The
rhythm of the campaign tune, 'Go walking', reflects the pace
that brisk walkers should work up to but everyone can start
off at their own pace.
Dr Gaffney
continued:
"You only have to look outside and you will see lots
of people enjoying a brisk walk. People can see and feel the
rewards of this very simple method of increasing their physical
activity and improving their health. The summer evenings we
are currently enjoying make this is an ideal time for people
to step into a brisk walking routine that can continue all
year round."
Dr Gaffney
added that evaluations of the campaign show that it has become
increasingly effective in encouraging people to increase their
physical activity since it was launched in 1999.
END
Notes
to editors:
1. Examples
of research upon which the 'Go walking' campaign guidelines
are based include:
- The
Northern Ireland Health and Activity Survey HMSO 1994. MacAuley
et al.
- Coronary
Heart Disease Statistics. British Heart Foundation Database
2000.
- Meta-Analysis
of Physical Activity in the Prevention of CHD. Am. J. Epiedmiol.
(1990) 132:612. Berlin, JA and GA Colditz.
- The
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the American
College of Sports Medicine. Physical Activity and Public
Health - A Recommendation from the Centres for Disease Control
and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Journal of the American Medical Association 1995; 273: 402-407.
2. Each
phase of the 'Go walking' campaign has been evaluated and
results are reported in: Research and Analysis of Physical
Activity Information in Northern Ireland. (Unpublished).
3. The
'Go walking' campaign is funded by the Department of Health,
Social Services and Public Safety through the NI Physical
Activity Strategy.
For further information:
Contact
Jenny Dougan at the Health Promotion
Agency on 028 9031 1611.
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