Benefits of Walking

• Exercise helps keep you healthy, and is great for all ages and abilities.
• Walking helps gets you fit, and provides a focus for keeping you fit.
• Meeting new people (through walking clubs and more casually whilst out-and-about).
• Discover beautiful countryside, traditional villages and the natural (and non-natural) history.
• See the world at the pace that suits you – take your surroundings in at the speed you wish to walk.
• Young or old, you can walk to your heart's content - or maybe just take a slow-paced, leisurely walk!
• Do it on days that suit you – don’t be restricted by opening and closing times!
• The more walking you do at home, more experience you will gain, the healthier and fitter you will become allowing you to do more challenging walks – such as steeper gradients, technical paths, longer routes.

Studies show that walking can:

• Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile
• Reduce body fat
• Enhance mental well being
• Increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis
• Reduce the risk of cancer of the colon
• Reduce the risk of non insulin dependant diabetes
• Help to control body weight
• Help osteoarthritis
• Help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls