Getting Started


Friendly groups:
If you are worried about walking alone and feel you need support and encouragement, why not join a walking group? Health professionals have set up hundreds of them across England – a great starting point to these is the Walking the way to Health Initiative (WHI). WHI is the country’s leading provider of free led health walks. There are over 500 local led health walks schemes and projects, often funded by the Primary Care Trust or Local Authority. They all offer short, regular walks in the local area, led by trained volunteers. The WHI site contains a ‘Walk Finder’ feature which will enable you to find a suitable walk near you. Everyone is welcome on these walks, regardless of their fitness or ability level.


12 week walking plan:
As with so many things that we know we want to do more of but don’t, the hardest thing is getting started. Thankfully consortium partner The Ramblers Association are running a project called Get Walking, Keep Walking specifically to give people the support they need to get going! At the moment they have active programmes in Birmingham, East London (Hackney and Tower Hamlets), South London (Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark), Manchester and Sheffield.

The programme has a great  pack for people who live outside of these areas advocating an easy to follow 12-week walking plan. If you are lucky enough to fall into one of their areas they have local centres leading walks and individual advice available too. If enough people are interested they hope to get more funding to widen the project across England in the future.
 
If you are wanting to walk to improve your health and general level of fitness you could start by simply getting off the bus a stop earlier, choosing to park at the furthest point of the car-park rather than the nearest, or take the stairs instead of a lift whenever you have the choice. Many people have found arranging to walk with friends regularly is a good  way to stay motivated.


Improving your mood:
Remember walking can improve your mood, reduce stress and alleviate depression and anxiety as well as make you fitter! Mind have published a booklet that sets out the benefits of exercising to improve mental health: ‘Mind Guide to Physical Activity'
 

Everyday journeys:
Choosing to walk more of your every day A – B journeys is one of the easiest ways to walk more and don’t kid yourself that you cant fit it in! – Why not copy Sir Muir Gray – Head of Knowledge at the Department for Health – who chooses to make all his calls on a hands free mobile each day. Invest in a shopping trolley or a bag with wheels if you are worried about getting slowed down and think about walking all those short trips of less than a mile that could be walked in 15 minutes instead  - to the local shop, to school , to work.

To find out what is happening in your local area to encourage more everyday walking journeys look at the Sustrans Travelsmart programme.


Maps and directions:
The Government’s journey planner transport direct is a good starting point if you are not too sure how to make the journey on foot or if you live in London, Transport for London’s Journey Planner is useful too (but you will have to scroll down if you want to use the walking option).

If you live in  London, Birmingham. Newcastle, Leeds or Edinburgh try Walk it . Just type in your start and destination postcodes and it will give you time, distance and alternative ‘greener’ routes too!

To plan your own route have a look at Google Earth where their pioneering satellite technology now allows walkers to not only view their walking location, but to plot their route on the satellite image and then view a multimedia tour of that path, including names and features passed en route. It is free to download and lets you save your paths to use again!

Proud to have some of the best maps in the world, walkers should also visit the Ordnance Survey  - the national mapping agency which also allows you to plot routes online and learn more about maps and how to navigate with them.
 

Walking routes:
Recreational walking is officially our most popular national past time in England with more than 45% of us enjoying a walk regularly. According to the Long Distance Walkers Association there are more than 600 promoted routes in England to help us do it  - most utilising the public rights of way network that uniquely connects so much of the country’s best landscapes and attractions.

In the near future Walk England hope to have a regional guide section on walks in each area of England but a good place to look till then is the LDWA website, the Ramblers Association and if you live in London, the information on strategic routes on the Walk London pages is very comprehensive too.

Very often you don’t need specialist equipment to enjoy walking, just comfortable shoes, particularly when there are so many parks and  greenspaces normally within reach of most people, but do think about taking a bit more with you if you are tempted by the flagship of our Rights of Way network - National Trails, designated and supported by government as the best walks in England.

If you fancy something more rural, but less challenging, more walks can be found at Country Walks. This Government web site gives details - and maps - for more than 1800 walks, rides and areas of open access provided under the Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Environmental Stewardship Schemes.