Walking your way to health - GP Packs

26th May 2010

Walking your Way to Health
New 'Doorstep Walk' packs given to local GP practices

Local residents are being encouraged to take the first steps towards a healthy life.
A new 'Doorstep Walk' pack has been distributed to local GP practices and promotes exercise to local communities. A press call has been arranged at Fusehill Street Surgery next Wednesday (26 May), at 12.15pm, to promote the initiative.
The resource pack includes a selection of short, gentle walks within easy reach of Carlisle. The walks are great way to improve your health, are easily accessible and follow good footpaths. The packs provide a series of local walks which will help to encourage you to achieve your five x 30 minutes of moderate exercise per week, which the Chief Medical Officer advises we are required to achieve for a healthier lifestyle.
The Doorstep Walk packs have been produced by Carlisle City Council in partnership with NHS Cumbria, Cumbria Sports Partnership and the Forestry Commission as part of the Carlisle Doorstep Walking scheme. The scheme has been awarded accreditation by Walking For Health, an initiative of Natural England having successfully demonstrated that they meet the required criteria. This includes offering led walks for beginners, meeting the "Walking For Health" safety and insurance standards for all walks and collecting basic monitoring information.
Carlisle City Cllr Olwyn Luckley, Portfolio holder for Health & Community Development, said:
"The benefits associated with walking are endless and we have seen the real difference that walking can make to an individuals health; physically, mentally and socially. These packs will act as a fantastic resource to encourage individuals to access activity in their own time, whilst improving their health and discovering the Carlisle area."
The scheme is one of the leading health walk groups in Cumbria working as part of the Walking for Health programme supported by Natural England.  It has been recognised nationally as one of the first Walking for Health groups to have encouraged referrals from GPs and it currently holds three health walks per week.

Jane Muller, NHS Cumbria's Associate Director of Public Health, said:
"Walking is a great way for people to get the exercise they need and as a result improve their health and wellbeing. It is also the perfect moderate activity for people who aren't used to doing exercise, to start them off on the right track.
"By creating these packs the hard work has already been done and it's so easy for people across Carlisle to pick one up at their GP surgery and see what walks of different lengths are available across the area. I hope lots of people will take this opportunity to get out and about and encourage others to do the same."
As part of the free programme, there is a chance to take part in Short Park Health Walks, held on Mondays and Wednesdays, every week except on Bank Holidays. These are held every Monday, 2.30pm, at Chance's Park (meet at Morton Community Centre) and every Wednesday, 2.30pm at Hammonds Pond (meet in Hammonds Pond main car park, off Blackwell Road).
The Walking for Health programme is held on Wednesdays, starting at and 1pm. All walks are free, easy, are on good paths and last around an hour (expect the 'Summer Surprise' event):
• 19th May - Milton Rigg Woods. Meet at the Milton Rigg car park.
• 2nd June - Kingmoor Sidings. Meet at the Nature Reserve car park, Kingmoor Road.
• 16th June - 'Summer Surprise'. Telephone 01228 817370 to book a place.
• 30th June - Longtown. Meet at the Longtown Community Centre.
• 14th July - Stanwix Bank and Ettery. Meet at The Sands Centre.
A variety of evening and weekend walks are also planned for the summer period. The first will be held at Wreay Woods on Sunday, 18 July at 10am.
For more information about the 'Doorstep Walk' packs or to take the first steps to a healthier lifestyle by joining any of the led walks, telephone 01228 817370.
For more general information about Natural England's national Walking for Health programme visit the website at www.wfh.naturalengland.org.uk where you can find more information about health walks and the health benefits as well as locating your nearest group.
Ends
Photo opportunity: Wednesday, 26 May - 12.15pm - Fusehill Street Surgery, Carlisle
Carlisle Cllr Olwyn Luckley; Jane Muller (NHS Cumbria's Associate Director of Public Health) and Lesley Jackson, practise nurse from Fusehill Street Surgery will be available for interview

Notes to Editors:
Around 80% of adults aren't doing the recommended three sessions of 30-minutes of exercise a week, leading to Cumbria NHS spending more than £8million every year on preventable conditions. Taking up the simple exercise of walking you can achieve a vast array of health benefits. They include:
• Reduce the risk of developing some forms of cancer. The most active individuals have, on average, a 40-50% lower risk of developing colon cancer than the least active. The risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women can be reduced by 30-40%. There is also a possible reduction in the risk of lung cancer.
• Regular physical activity prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure which can cause strokes and helps to reduce blood pressure in individuals with elevated blood pressure.  It is also one of the most effective means of managing mild to moderate hypertension.
• Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease. Inactive and unfit people have almost double the risk of dying from CHD compared with more active and fit people.
• It has been well documented that obesity rates are predicted to soar over the next few years but physical activity is important to maintaining a 'healthy weight' particularly as we grow older and our metabolism slows down.
• Largely as a result of the soaring obesity rates Type II diabetes is rapidly increasing in the UK and is set to double during 2010. Regular physical activity has a protective effect against developing type II diabetes, lowering the risk by 33-50%.
• The general benefits of physical activity for older people are well established. Older people who are regularly active are more likely to remain independent for longer.
• Physical activity is essential for maintaining the health of joints and appears to be beneficial for controlling the symptoms of disabling conditions such as arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• Mental health and well-being are an essential part of everyone's quality of life. One in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year. Regular physical activity improves mood, helps relieve depression and everyday stresses and increases feelings of well-being. A survey carried out by the charity Mind found that 83% of people with mental health problems looked to physical activity to help lift their mood.  Studies have shown that being active in the outdoors conveys additional mental health benefits further reducing stress and improving mood.
Further information: Sarah Irving, Communications, 01228 817150