A series of free guided walks which are part of the new national
Ramblers Wellbeing Walks programme has launched across Cumbria.
Wellbeing Walks encourage people to get out and about in their
community and explore their local area. 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.
Launch of the new season walks coincides with National Walking Month,
which takes place from 1st – 31st May.
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. The Wellbeing 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.
Active Cumbria, part of Cumbria County Councils Public Health Team is
co-ordinating the Cumbria programme with walks taking place regularly
across the county. The programme is supported by Cumbria County Council
and Carlisle City Council.
Active Cumbria Development Officer and Ramblers Wellbeing Walks
Co-ordinator for Cumbria, Aileen Grant said; “Ramblers Wellbeing Walks
was previously known as Walking for Health and has always been well
received in Cumbria. These low-level guided walks take place in the
heart of our communities and are a great way for people to explore the
surroundings on their doorstep. We know that walking is one of the most
popular and accessible ways to be active and we are delighted to be
co-ordinating the Wellbeing Walks in Cumbria and supporting the
fantastic team of volunteer Walk Leaders delivering the programme on the
ground.”
Chair of Active Cumbria Advisory Board, Lorrainne Smyth said “Our
vision is for Everyone in Cumbria to be enjoying an active lifestyle.
The Wellbeing Walks programme provides a welcoming and accessible
pathway offering people in our communities, particularly older adults
and those with long term health conditions opportunities to improve
their lives through physical activity in a way which suits them and
their ability.”
Details of walks taking place in Cumbria can be found easily by using
the activity finder search tool on the Active Cumbria website which can
be found at www.activecumbria.org.uk [1]
You can also visit the Ramblers Wellbeing Walks website at
https://beta.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/wellbeing-walks [2].
