National Walking Month 2019

Posted by Thomas Bynde on May 2, 2019

Photo by Sebastian Pichler from Unsplash

May 2019 is National Walking Month

The beginning of May marks the beginning of National Walking Month, a month for encouraging getting outside and enjoying the fresh air. Whether you’re a leisurely stroller or avid hiker, there’s no better way to get out and enjoy the fresh air than by taking a stroll.

The benefits of walking:

Walking for a brisk 10 minutes every day has some surprising benefits and counts towards the NHS recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. Other than the obvious health and fitness benefits such as strengthening bones and muscles, increasing stamina and aiding weight loss, walking also improves circulation and blood pressure and can even help reduce the symptoms of mental health conditions.

The NHS also has a great guide to exercising if you have a long-term health condition or disability.

Top walking ideas:

• Invite friends and family – a social walk is a great way to boost your mood by interacting with loved ones or neighbours, even just having a stroll around the neighbourhood and having a chat. This is a great way to make exercise and walking more enjoyable.

• Dog walking – If you already take your pup for a regular walk, you could try a new exciting route or a longer distance to make things different for both of you.

• Walk to or from work – If you live within walking distance from work, the fresh air in the morning can give you a boost for the day and you don’t have to put up with the traffic on the dreaded commute!

• Walk to the shops  – Lifting grocery bags back home can be an added strength exercise if you’re up to the challenge.

• A romantic stroll – Surprise your partner with a romantic walk through the woodland or across a promenade if you’re lucky enough to live near one. Spending this quality time together outdoors can make for a great (and free!) date, whilst making the exercise more enjoyable.

Handy products

If you need a little assistance while out and about, mobility aids can be of great assistance. Our range of folding walking sticks are the perfect partner for National Walking Month, as they fold for convenient storage and transportation. For an extra splash of style, a patterned walking stick with matching bag is sure to put a spring in your step. If you prefer a classic stick, there is a range of non-folding walking sticks in various styles too. Seat sticks are also handy to have while out walking as they provide a perch to sit on for resting, bird watching or a quick snack on-the-go is required!

A lightweight wheelchair is an ideal way to get outside and enjoy the outdoors if you are unable to walk for long periods. Or for more mobile individuals, a rollator offers support and stability as well as a handy seat to take a rest. Our unique Bluejay Rollator is incredibly lightweight with a comfy seat, and it even folds up for easy storage.

There are also a range of charities and voluntary organisations that provide information on how to experience National Walking Month when you’re a wheelchair user, such as Walks With Wheelchairs which allows you to sign up and pick a specific route that is suitable for your needs, anywhere in the country. Also, The Disabled Ramblers is a great charity that aims to help people get out in the countryside, with plenty of research about accessible routes.

If you like a great outdoor adventure and are a fan of hiking, a Trionic rollator can take you anywhere. Perfect for navigating curbs, cobbles, grassy verges, the Trionic range is designed for activities such as hiking, sport and even golfing. They even have a great range of accessories to go with it.

If you have any tips for other readers or want to share an opinion, tweet us at @AbilitySStore or get in touch via our Facebook page.