Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, help manage body weight and become healthier. Even if you feel old and creaky!
Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, reduce stress and make your heart healthier – and please remember walking ‘briskly’ will be different based on your unique starting level. It’s anything that will increase your heart rate slightly.

There’s lots of research to show that people who generally move more throughout the day do better. Let’s not forget the inspiration that was Captain Sir Thomas Moore. If you’re not very active but are able to walk (even if that’s with an aid – human or frame), try increasing your walking distance gradually. Don’t forget to stretch afterwards and stay hydrated.

Walking is thinking time.
It’s meditative.
It’s social.
It’s environmentally friendly.
It boosts your immunity and improves your gut health.

Despite knowing it’ll be good for us, many of us feel reluctant to get out and just go for a walk, especially as our lives have got busier again or we lack the confidence. One of the best forms of exercise is on our doorsteps – there are so many lovely walks in and around Barrow and what a wonderful way to connect with your local community.

The following research was found on the Arthritis Foundation website: Walking wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart, thus reducing the risk of stroke. It can reduce the risk of hip fractures.

Walking releases natural pain killing endorphins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise. A California State University study showed that the more steps people took during the day, the better their moods were. The majority of joint cartilage has no direct blood supply. It gets its nutrition from joint fluid that circulates as we move. Movement and compression from walking "squishes” the cartilage, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area.

When walking, your breathing rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through the bloodstream, helping to eliminate waste products and improve your energy level and the ability to heal.

A University of California study of 6,000 women, aged 65 and older, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked more; while at the University of Virginia, a study of men, between the ages of 71 and 93, found that those who walked more than a quarter of a mile each day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than those who walked less. So, the earlier we can make walking a habit, the better we can take an active part in offsetting some of these symptoms linked to ageing. Walking in a group is a great way to start walking, make new friends and stay motivated. Don’t be put off if you can’t walk fast or walk with the assistance of a stick or a frame. 

Barrow Wellbeing Walks meet every Tuesday at 10.30am in The Three Crowns car park. They have different levels of walks and one includes shorter, slower walks for people with mobility issues. It’s a fun and sociable way of walking with confidence with other people. Barrow Good Neighbour Scheme can help with friendship, fresh air and short, assisted walks (even if it’s just round your garden) if you are nervous of walking on your own and you want the opportunity for a friendly chat.

For information on all levels of Barrow Wellbeing Walks, just turn up at The Three Crowns. They start their walks at dead-on 10.30am so you need to make sure you are there in time. Or you can contact Matthew Richardson at Charnwood Borough Council on: 01509 632 5353 or 07753 309559 If you don’t feel active enough for walking at the moment, physiotherapist JD, has some videos for simple movements and chair exercises for people who struggle to get active. He’s made a short video for the Alzheimer’s Association but has a range of simple exercises on YouTube. You can access this at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URFD9FTCWn8 or look for more of his videos (including things like neck and shoulder mobility) by searching for: jd interbeing alchemist.

Mairi Taylor