West Lothian Council delivers

West Lothian on the Move

 

Walking for health - walk more feel the difference!

Experts recommend that we are moderately active for 30 minutes every day but more often than not our busy lifestyle doesn't allow us to fit in a formal exercise class or a session in the gym and for some of us such activities are not appealing especially if you haven't exercised for some time or are recovering from illness. Walking is one of the simplest activities that we can do.

• It's FREE
• It's on your doorstep (a walk round the local park will do)
• You don't need any special equipment (a pair of comfortable shoes will do)
• It's unlikley to cause injury
• It's easy to fit into our busy lifestyle
• You don't need to be fit to start.

Did you know that regular walking can:

• Make you feel good
• Help you sleep better
• Reduce stress
• Reduce your blood pressure
• Help you manage your weight
• Improve confidence
• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
  

Tips to help you walk more and feel the difference!

• Go for a walk at lunchtime
• Walk to (or part of the way) to school or work
• Walk instead of using the car for short journeys
• Park at the furthest end of the car park and enjoy being active while others are circling for the perfect space
• In bad weather, go for a walk in the local shopping centre
• Take the stairs instead of the lift
• Get off the bus a stop earlier
• Throw away the remote control

Develop a regular walking routine

The best way to get the most from walking is to walk everyday. Little and often is a good start.

Important things to remember

• Build up your walking gradually
• Stick to a pace and distance that is comfortable
• Don't worry if you are not quite as fit as you expected, it's where you are going that counts!
• You should feel slightly out of breath, but you should be able to hold a conversation easily while walking
• You should feel slightly warmer
• You should not experience any pain when walking, if you do stop or slow down
• You might feel slightly uncomfortable if you are new to walking. If this persists or you experience pain, STOP you are pushing yourself too hard and may need to slow down to a more comfortable pace
• Start by walking on flat ground and going short distances, increase the distance before you increase the gradient
• Remember any walking is better than none
• Enjoy it, walking should be fun, a time out to see things around you and clear your head from the bustle of daily life

This programme is for beginners and aims to help you reach a level where you can walk for 30mins at a moderate (brisk) pace at least 5 times per week

• Week 1 Two walks of 10mins each on 2 days of the week.
• Week 2 Two walks of 10mins each on 3 days of the week.
• Week 3 Two walks of 10mins each on 4 days of the week (try to increase your pace slightly)
• Week 4 Two walks of 12mins each on 4 days of the week.
• Week 5 Two walks of 15mins each on 4 days of the week.
• Week 6 Two walks of 15mins each on five days of the week.
• Week 7 One walk of 20mins on 5 days of the week.
• Week 8 One walk of 25mins on 5 days of the week.
• Week 9 One walk of 30mins or 2 walks of 15mins on 5 days of the week (try to increase the pace slightly)
• Week 10 One walk of 30mins or 2 walks of 15mins on five or more days of the week - try to include some slight uphill slopes into your walk to challenge you.
• Week 11 and beyond Aim for a brisk pace and challenge yourself with steeper slopes and inclines.

For more information contact 01506 771896 or email laura.dunkel@westlothian.gov.uk

Put Your West Foot Forward is a project which aims to encourage people to become more active, by walking more and it's aim is to encourage people to become more active, by walking more. For more information click the button "Guided Walks" under related links on the box at the right of this page.

 

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WEST LOTHIAN ON THE MOVE

The West Lothian On The Move project is a partnership between West Lothian Council, NHS Lothian, local voluntary groups and national agencies to encourage inactive people to participate in moderate intensity activities in order to improve their health and well being, building activity within their daily routine and utilising activity as a way of life. The long term vision is to increase physical activity levels in people of every age across West Lothian. Please check the Department of Health Physical Activity Guidelines in the Related Links section at the right of this page to find out just how much you need to do for your age. Remember, you don't need to do it all in one go, every little bit helps! Break it up throughout the day and build up in 10 minute sessions.

Get more active every day!

A little physical activity really does mean a lot. Here are some ways to incorporate more physical activity into your life, bit by bit every day.

At Home:

• While watching TV, keep moving by ironing, dusting or cleaning. You will keep active and have a clean, tidy home!
• Forget the remote control, get up and walk to change channels. If you can only change channels by using the remote, leave it next to the TV or put it at the other side of the room.
• Housework is activity that counts! Vacuuming, cleaning windows, dusting, polishing - it all adds up.
• Get up and move about during commercial breaks - plump the cushions, do a bit of dusting, tidy the newspapers and magazines away, bring in the washing, empty the dishwasher or wash and dry the dishes and put them away.
• Take the dog for a walk or, if you don't have a dog, go for a walk yourself.  Walking is free and you can make the walk as long or short as you like, building up as you get fitter.
• Clean the car by hand yourself instead of taking it to the car wash - not only an activity but it saves money as well.
• Use the upstairs loo instead of the cloakroom downstairs.
• Try walking or cycling to work if you live close enough. Even doing this just one day a week will make a difference and, again, it saves you money.
• if you don't live close enough to work to walk or cycle, park further away and walk the rest of the way. Start by parking in the furthest away space in the car park and build it up from there.
• Rather than phoning or emailing colleagues, try simply getting off your chair and go and chat to them in person, even better if their office is up the stairs.
• Walk up the stairs every day instead of taking the lift. Climbing stairs burns more calories than jogging!
• If you can, go for a walk during your lunch break or even set up a lunchtime walking group.
• If you ever take the bus anywhere, walk to the next stop on the way and get off a stop early on the way back.
• When chatting to or texting people on your mobile phone, walk around the room rather than sitting still, or step up and down on the bottom stair.
• If you want to find an activity to do but are not sure what is happening near you, please check the Active Scotland website (see Related Links at the right of this page).

For up to date information regarding West Lothian On The Move please contact:

Lucy Goddard (Project Co-ordinator)
Tele 01506 771792
Mobile - 07909 892081
Email - lucy.goddard@westlothian.gov.uk

You can also refer to the West Lothian On The Move document available to download below.

updated: 29/09/11