Natural England - Walking for Health

Walking for Health

Walking in a group is a great way to start some physical activity and to stay motivated. Walking for Health (WfH) is the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks.

Large walking group

Walking can:

  • make you feel good
  • give you more energy
  • reduce stress and help you sleep better
  • keep your heart healthy and reduce blood pressure
  • help to manage your weight.

Our aims

Walking for Health encourages people to take regular short health walks led by trained volunteer walk leaders in their local communities, particularly sedentary people and those in relatively poor health. We support a network of local health walk schemes across England, offering support and advice, training for walk leaders, public liability insurance, an accreditation quality mark, evaluation and free materials to help promote walking.

What we have achieved so far

Launched in 2000, Walking for Health has helped to train more than 11,000 walk leaders and now supports:

  • more than 650 led health walk schemes
  • more than 3,200 walks per week
  • more than 75,000 regular walkers every week.

Get involved

Our 650 led health walk schemes offer walks from beginner level with risk-assessed routes and trained walk leaders. They're fun, free and supportive, which is why once they've tried it our walkers tend to stick at it!
Find your nearest health walk scheme using our Walk Finderexternal link.

Find out more on the Walking for Health websiteexternal link.

Further information

  • Group on WfH walk © Natural England

    Walking for Health update

    (18 November 2011)  For more than 10 years Natural England and its predecessors has been helping to develop and support a national programme of community-led health walks, called Walking for Health.

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