Congratulations to ‘IW Health Walks’ which we hear has just been awarded accreditation.
The scheme which encourages a healthier lifestyle by walking, offers a number of walks around the Island for beginners as well as advanced walkers.
During the walks basic monitoring information is collected, helping to meet criteria for the “Walking the way to Health” accreditation
The accreditation brings with it national recognition of the work taking place on the Island, as well as being part of the nationally evaluated scheme.
Louise Gray Scheme co-ordinator for IW Health Walks, says:
“It is all thanks to the hard work and commitment of the volunteer Health walk leaders that allow the IW Health Walks to offer a wide range of enjoyable walks to the residents of the Isle of Wight, to encourage healthy lifestyles ”
If you fancy getting involved in the IW Health Walks or would like to train as a ‘Walking the way to Health’ Volunteer Walk Leader please contact the Scheme Co-ordinator, Louise Gray, on 814283 or [email protected].
Walking the way to Health (WHI)
Walking the way to Health is the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks. It is a joint initiative between Natural England and the British Heart Foundation.
WHI aims to get more people walking in their own communities, especially those who take little exercise or live in areas of poor health. The initiative has helped to create 525 local health walk schemes across England and has trained over 33,000 Volunteer Walk Leaders. We support schemes through training for walk leaders, advice on setting up a new scheme, insurance, evaluation and free leaflets to help promote walking.
Our health walks are free to participants and provide an easy way of getting regular exercise. There is compelling evidence of the benefits of moderate physical activity. Those who exercise enjoy greater life expectancy with reduced risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colonic cancer and osteoporosis. Walking can also be a catalyst for connecting people with many other aspects of health, such as healthy eating, stopping smoking and relaxation.
Many WHI health walk schemes have their own web page on the WHI Walk Finder, displaying details of their walks and how to get involved.
