Salford Community Lifestyle celebrate 15 years of ‘Walking for Health’

AFTER hosting their ‘Walking for Health’ walks for 15 years, Salford Community Lifestyle are still passionate about providing the community with a chance to stay active and healthy.

The health walks are free to everyone and aim to help provide people with their 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week.

The walks are also designed to help people feel safe and relaxed while walking by providing each set of walkers with a trained volunteer guide. On today’s walk there was around 30 people layered up for the round trip around Worsley Woods.

Not only are the walks great for your health, but are also ideal places for socialising and making friends.

Jo Bennett who organises the walks and helps to train the guides said: “I think the biggest draw for the walkers is the social aspect.”

“They know they’re coming to do some exercise, and they enjoy getting out in the fresh air.

“You won’t be able to stop them from talking which is great!”

The walks are part of the national initiative ‘Walking for Health’ and offer a one hour walk, with some walks lasting around 30 minutes for those who prefer shorter routes.

To see all eight locations and their meeting points and times, see the map below.

The main aim of the walks is to help people keep fit and healthy.

Jo said: “You get the heart rate and get the blood pumping around using lots of different muscles in the fresh air.

”You get people out so they don’t feel isolated, especially this time of year when it is dark at four o clock.

“You would think less people would walk in the winter but I think it is that chance to get out and do something before the night is finished.”

The walks can be done by all age ranges and abilities. The Tuesday walk around Monton has accessible areas for prams and wheelchairs, allowing everyone to give the routes a go. There is also a Sunday walk around Monton that is perfect for a family winter walk.

Take a look at the walk around Worsley Woods today.

For more information about the walks and how you can get involved, visit Salford Community Leisure.