People in Oswestry invited to step out and get walking

 News from our partners Oswestry Walking For Health

People in Oswestry are being encouraged to get out on their feet and discover the wonders of walking during the Ramblers’ biggest ever free short walks festival from Saturday 3 May 2014 to Saturday 10 May 2014. 

During Get Walking Week, Oswestry Walking for Health will be offering people in the area free short walks in addition to the regular ones, making it easier for them to take their first steps into a happier and healthier lifestyle. 

Additional walks for the week are:

• Tuesday 6 May, starting at 6pm from the fire station.  This walk will go up and around the top end of Oswestry, providing views not normally seen of the town.  Stiles will be encountered, as will mud and probably livestock.  Walk will take about 90 minutes.
• Thursday 8 May, starting at 6pm from the heritage centre.   This walk will go over stiles and across fields to nearly Morda.  It will take about 90 minutes.
• Saturday 10 May, starting at 10am from the heritage centre.  This walk will go up to the waterworks and across fields to the Llanforda estate, and will take about 90 minutes. 

Regular walks for the week are:

• Tuesday 6 May 10am, from the Cambrian Railway Centre.  These walks take place every first, second and third Tuesday of each month.
• Tuesday 6 May 2pm, from Gatacre sports pavilion.
• Thursday 8 May 10.30am from Lorne Street day centre. 

Oswestry Walking for Health is part of Walking for Health, England’s largest network of health walk schemes, run by Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support. 

Walking for Health aims to provide everyone with access to short, free and friendly walks within easy reach of where they live, helping them to become and stay active. 

Although walking is very straightforward, the benefits are endless.  It’s good for your health, it lifts your mood, it’s a sociable activity you can do with family or friends and a great way to meet new people.  It also counts towards the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity people should be doing each week. 

Only 61% of adults in England are meeting this recommendation, but that doesn’t have to be the case. 

Simon Barnett, director of walking development at the Ramblers, said: 

“We’ve seen firsthand what a positive impact regular walking can have on people’s lives, especially through Walking for Health, so we are keen to open up opportunities to everyone so they can benefit too. 

“We want as many people as possible to step out during Get Walking Week so that they can experience the benefits walking has to offer.  You don’t need any special equipment to join in, so why not go along to one of these and take those important first steps towards a healthier and happier lifestyle.” 

Liz Evans, scheme co-ordinator for Oswestry, said: 

“Walking is such wonderful way to get to know your local area and make new friends that it hardly even feels like exercise.  You don’t have to be fit to start, and everyone is welcome.  We’d love to welcome some new faces at Oswestry during Get Walking Week.  It really is a great opportunity for those who’ve been thinking about getting active to take that first step.  You can be sure it’ll be a friendly and gentle way to start along the pathway to better health.” 

For more information about this local Get Walking Week event, please contact Liz Evans on 01743 255068, email liz.evans@shropshire.gov.uk. 

For more information about Walking for Health and Get Walking Week, please call the Ramblers press office on 0207 339 8531 or 07584 848083 (out of hours) or email press@ramblers.org.uk.  

Find out more about Walking for Health: www.walkingforhealth.org.uk; Facebook www.facebook.com/healthywalks and Twitter twitter.com/healthywalks. 

• Walking for Health is England’s largest network of health walk schemes, offering free short walks across the country to help people lead a more active lifestyle.  They’ve done this with great success for over 10 years, and in this time improved the lives of thousands of people.  Now the Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support are working together to ensure Walking for Health gets even more people active and healthy in the years to come.
• More than 70,000 people walk with Walking for Health regularly at 3,400 weekly walks led by 10,000 volunteers.
• Walking may be straightforward, but it’s also effective.  The Chief Medical Officers agree that walking counts towards those all-important 150 minutes of moderate physical activity everyone should be doing.  To find out more, visit http://bit.ly/1hnxkbO to read the Walking for Health report, Walking Works.
• According to self-reported figures for 2012, 61% of English adults were sufficiently active for good health.  This figure uses the current CMOs’ guidelines of 150 minutes or more of moderate intensity activity as a benchmark.  These self-reported figures are from the Joint Health Surveys Unit figures for 2012.  

About the Ramblers 

• The Ramblers is at the heart of walking in Britain; working to promote walking and protect the places where people walk.  For over 75 years it has helped build and protect Britain’s 140,000 mile long path network, it runs over 45,000 walks a year, and campaigns for better walking routes and more walking opportunities.  

About Macmillan Cancer Support 

• When you have cancer, you don’t just worry about what will happen to your body, you worry about what will happen to your life.  At Macmillan, we know how a cancer diagnosis can affect everything and we’re here to support you through.  
• From help with money worries and advice about work, to someone who’ll listen if you just want to talk, we’ll be there.  We are millions of supporters, professionals, volunteers, campaigners and people affected by cancer.  Together we make sure there’s always someone here for you, to give you the support, energy and inspiration you need to help you feel like yourself again. We are all Macmillan. 
• No one should face cancer alone. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or visit macmillan.org.uk.