National Walking Month: Tips, trails and how to raise money while getting your steps in
National Walking Month is back this May.
Taking a short walk regularly can reduce the risk of preventable conditions, including certain cancers, depression, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
It’s also one of the easiest ways to stay connected to our community, helping us feel less lonely and isolated.
Throughout the month, people are being urged to incorporate just 20 minutes of walking into their day and celebrate it with their family and friends.
Living Streets, the charity for everyday walking, has put together 20 tips to help you fit 20 minutes of walking into your day. You can read that here.
May also sees the return of Walk to School Week (20-24 May) which celebrates the many health and social benefits associated with walking to school.
If you’re looking for walks within Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, here are a few very useful websites with trails designed for all ages and abilities:
· Vale Trails | Inspiration from Visit The Vale
· Cardiff Ramblers - Walk leaflets
· Self-guided Walking | View Routes — Valeways
· Find a walking trail in Cardiff - Outdoor Cardiff
In addition, Cardiff and Vale Health Charity has launched Walk This May, a campaign encouraging people to take on walking fundraising challenges throughout the month.
You can get involved by:
· Organising a sponsored walk at your work, school, or community
· Challenging friends and colleagues – who can walk the fastest, furthest, or even raise the most money
· Setting up a walking meeting
· Walking the length of our glorious coast
· Taking on a virtual challenge
· Setting up a challenge on your smartwatch/FitBit
A charity spokesperson said: “Set yourself a challenge for the month. Whether that’s walking 20 minutes a day, setting a 20k target by month’s end, or even tackling 20,000 steps a day - you can do it! Improve your physical and mental health whilst supporting your local hospitals at the same time.”
You can help raise funds by visiting the health charity’s JustGiving page here to make a donation, or simply set up your own online donation page.