Mid Sussex Healthy Walks

Walking is the perfect activity to help improve your health and wellbeing, and is an ideal way to explore and enjoy the area you live in. Some of the amazing benefits of regular walking include reducing high blood pressure and lowering the risk of certain types of cancer. Being physically fit can halve your risk of dying of heart disease and can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 33-50%. Walking can also help to control body weight, improve sleep and reduce stress. The Chief Medical Officer recommends that we take 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, but the truth is that 80% of us are not as active as we should be.

The Mid Sussex Healthy Walks scheme was set up by Mid Sussex District Council to help people become healthier, in a friendly, supportive and supervised environment. Walking with a group is also a great way to make new friends in your local community.

Mid Sussex Healthy walks are free and open to all. There are levels of walk for all abilities, so if you are just taking those first few steps to improving your health you can join a slow-paced level 1 30-minute walk, or, if you would like more of a challenge the walks go up to level 5 - a 3 hour fast-paced walk through the countryside. There are even walks suitable for buggies and wheelchairs.

Mid Sussex Healthy Walks are accredited by the Walking for Health (WfH) Initiative (www.wfh.naturalengland.org.uk). WfH have set up thousands of health walks across the country, and they have estimated that 63,000 people regularly walk with their local scheme!

One of our regular walkers says: “I love it. I love the routes, the way we discover beautiful cottages in the depths of the countryside, the fact that the leaders navigate for us so it's safe and we don't get lost, and there's a back marker to help if anyone needs them. I love getting to know my local area more intimately and without the car. I enjoy meeting people of different ages and walks of life…and it’s free!”

The majority of the Mid Sussex Healthy walks are led by volunteers. If you enjoy walking, becoming a Volunteer Walk Leader is a great way to meet new people and give something back to your community. Annie, one of our regular leaders, says:

“Becoming a Healthy Walks Leader was one of the best things that ever happened to me. At the time I was suffering from a variety of health problems. I was on a GP’s exercise referral scheme, pool walking to strengthen muscles and increase mobility. I started off leading short, 30-minute level one walks and have progressed through to levels two and three. The social interaction with the other leaders and walkers is really important. There’s a very friendly atmosphere to the walks, and it’s easy to see why people join us for reasons other than to improve health. There’s the opportunity to walk and talk, and to have a quick look at nature’s latest offerings. Watching people gain in confidence, fitness and cope with bereavement are great bonuses and the leaders are made to feel appreciated too.”

Don’t put it off - contact us or visit our website for a healthy walks timetable, choose a day and level which is convenient to you and just turn up at the meeting point!

www.midsussex.gov.uk/healthywalks, Rangers@midsussex.gov.uk, 01444 477561