Why walk?

Walking is a healthy, enjoyable and free way to travel. Most journeys involve walking at some stage. With over 25% of all journeys made on foot there are plenty of good reasons to take walking seriously. It is a great way of exercising and you can build it into your day without really noticing it, and unlike other physical activities it requires little or no equipment. There are many health benefits too:

• Regular exercise can halve the risk of coronary heart disease which is the single most common cause of death in England.
• Regular exercise can reduce high blood pressure and the risk of having a stroke.
• Exercise can also significantly reduce the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes
• Exercise can contribute to strengthen your bones and heart and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
• Walking will improve your balance, co-ordination and joint flexibility which are especially noticeable in later life.
• Walking just one mile can burn up at least 100kcal and walking two miles a day three times a week can help reduce weight by one pound every three weeks.

Find out more about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle with Active Wiltshire.

Did you know?
A mile can be walked in under 20 minutes at a steady pace or that at a moderate pace, an average person can walk 2 miles in 30 minutes.