by Dame Jane Roberts, medical doctor, psychiatrist and Living Streets’ Chair
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Walking is a free, easy and accessible way for both parents and children to start getting active. It’s good for our minds, our bodies and our environment, and ensures we get out into the fresh air, we socialise and we get some exercise.
To celebrate National Walking Month this May, Living Streets is encouraging the nation to #Try20 - and walk for 20 minutes each day this month.
Walking for just 20 minutes a day can have fantastic mental and physical health benefits, enables us to connect with nature and others around us, as well as helping the planet. It contributes to the recommended 60 minutes of activity a day for children, and 150 minutes of exercise a week for adults.
Here are some tips for how you can easily integrate a 20-minute walk into yours and your children’s daily routines:
1. Swap the school run for a school walk
Instead of dropping your children to school by car, or encouraging them to take the bus, train or tram, try walking your children to school instead.
This short walk is free, sets children up to be active, alert and refreshed ahead of the school day, and enables you to spend some quality time with them – all the while getting healthier and happier in the process!
2. Walk to or from work
If you’re working in the office, you can take the train or bus for part of the route, but stop a few stops early, and walk the rest of the way.
If you work from home, try a 'fake commute' and go for a walk before you start. A 20-minute walk before work will set you up for the day, while a stroll afterwards can help you unwind and switch off.
3. Take a meeting outside
Instead of holding a work meeting in a stuffy office, or in your house if you’re working from home, you can go out and enjoy some fresh air through a walk. Combining a work meeting or phone call with a walk can boost your energy and productivity.
4. Go get your groceries on foot
When you need to pop to the local shops to buy some groceries, take your children to the dentist, or are heading to a family or friend’s house on the weekend, instead of driving with your children to these local errands and plans, try going on foot instead.
By swapping a short drive for a short walk, you can help to reduce air pollution, congestion and road danger, whilst saving yourself some money and getting everyone active in the process.
5. Spend some quality time on an evening stroll
After a long work and school day, shake up your evening plans and do something different to spend valuable, quality time with your children, by going for an evening stroll. Head out into your local area and watch the sun set together to create the perfect end to your day.
This can give you some one-on-one time with your children to hear how their day was, for them to express their thoughts and feelings, and for you to provide emotional support to them. It can also help them get more tired ahead of bedtime, providing them with an aid to sleep more easily.
Living Streets’ #Try20 tips are designed to help you fit 20 minutes of walking into your day. You can find them all at livingstreets.org.uk/Try20