Enjoy the health benefits of walking and join a Ramblers Wellbeing Walk

Throughout May, Active Cumbria are encouraging people to attend their local Ramblers Wellbeing Walk and get involved with National Walking Month.

National Walking Month is a campaign by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking. The campaign celebrates the health and happiness benefits of walking and wheeling more. Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve our health and stay connected to our community, helping us feel less lonely and isolated.

Research shows that a daily brisk 10-minute walk can make you feel better, more energetic and improve your mood. Over time it can also help lower the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

One year on from the launch of the Ramblers Wellbeing Walks programme in Cumbria, there are now over 50 walks regularly taking place across the county and over 170 trained volunteer walk leaders.

From Walney to Whitehaven and Cartmel to Carlisle, the walks programme is accessible for all, and some routes have wheelchair access.  In many cases, walks start and finish in the heart of towns and villages making it easy for everyone to join.

All walks are led by dedicated walk volunteer leaders and are short, over easy terrain and provide a safe environment to meet new people and make new friends whilst moving more and increasing physical activity at a pace suited to the individual

From getting outdoors and moving more, to meeting new people and learning something new about the local area there are many reasons participants choose to make walking their preferred way to keep active.

Active Cumbria, the Active Partnership for Cumbria, hosted by Cumberland Council is co-ordinating the Cumbria programme which is supported by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.

Active Cumbria Development Officer and Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Co-ordinator for Cumbria, Aileen Grant said; “National Walking Month presents a new opportunity for us to promote the benefits of keeping active by walking and showcase the vast range of Ramblers Wellbeing Walks taking place across the County.  The number of walks taking place regularly has almost doubled over the last year and with over 170 trained walk leaders we are hopeful that new walks will be starting over the coming months.”

Chair of Active Cumbria Advisory Board, Lorrainne Smyth said “The Ramblers Wellbeing Walks programme provides opportunity for people in our communities including older adults and those with long term health conditions to be more active. We are really encouraged by the success of the first year of the programme and look forward to building on this so that even more people can improve their health and wellbeing through walking.”

Details of public Ramblers Wellbeing walks taking place in Cumbria can be found easily by using the activity finder search tool on the Active Cumbria website www.activecumbria.org.uk

You can also visit the Ramblers Wellbeing Walks website at https://beta.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/wellbeing-walks.

Westmorland & Furness – Barrow Walks