National Walking Month is a country wide effort to encourage people of all ages to increase their activity levels by walking.

Walking is an excellent FREE tool that can increase activity and is easy for all to incorporate into their daily lives. According to Better Health, a few benefits of walking include:

• increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness
• reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes
• stronger bones and improved balance
• increased muscle strength and endurance
• reduced body fat.

Walking is also beneficial for children, as allowing them to walk to events, such as school, can help lower their risk for diabetes and other obesity related diseases, provide a way to expend energy, and allow them to communicate with other children, increasing self-esteem and confidence!

So how can you up your walking?

Here are five methods to increase your daily steps:

1. Take the stairs at work or on your commute instead of escalators or lifts

2. Walk part of your journey to work 

3. Set up a walking group – ask family or friends to join on morning/evening walks around the neighbourhood

4. Colleague walks – get out of the office and take a ‘walking meeting’ 

5. Leave the car behind for short journeys

What did SportInspired get up to during National Walking Month?

We held five festivals in May inspiring over 980 children to be more active. SportInspired's very own Programme Managers George and Edd ran in the Hackney Half Marathon and the rest of the team made an effort to get outside and walk more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From all of us at SportInspired, we hope you embraced National Walking Month in May, but it's not too late if not! You can walk yourself to a happy and healthier lifestyle!