Natural England

Natural England, the champion for the natural environment, wants those setting New Year resolutions to be more active and make use of England’s great outdoors by joining the ‘Outdoor Gym’ in 2008.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said: “Walking for pleasure shouldn’t be saved for once a year. Parks, rights of way and England’s unique wildlife and landscapes are all there to be enjoyed and the views are substantially better than those you get from a treadmill. What’s more, they’re often free.”

Earlier this year, Natural England announced that 31,500 walk leaders have been trained to help encourage people to get active and stay active in the outdoors through its ‘Walking the Way to Health Initiative’ (WHI), a scheme open and available to all.

Dr William Bird, Natural England’s health adviser, said: “It’s been shown that the great outdoors is the best motivator to keep people walking and active. It’s also the easiest form of exercise to make part of your daily routine and the significant effect it can have on reducing or coping with stress really can make a difference to peoples’ lives.”

Peter Nottage, Natural England’s Regional Director added: “Here in Yorkshire and the Humber we have some of the most fantastic scenery and opportunities for enjoying the outdoors. Whether it’s a stroll round your local park or a ramble in the Dales, there’s something for everyone”.

Natural England’s 10 reasons why you should Join the Outdoor Gym:

• Walking in your local park or in the great outdoors available on your doorstep is one of the greenest ways to exercise as it doesn’t leave a carbon footprint
• The outdoors also provides great opportunities for wildlife spotting - join the two million people who have used the Natural England and BBC website which provides links to great places to walk and explore near you - all you need is your postcode. Visit www.naturalengland.org.uk and click on ‘Breathing Places’
• Exercising outside can improve concentration for several hours afterwards and makes you more resilient to stress or helps cope with stress
• £2.9 billion has been assigned to environmental schemes in the countryside between now and 2013. This is your money being used for environmental benefits – get out there and enjoy it!
• If you walk for 30 minutes a day you can burn off 2,000 calories a week (the equivalent of six Mars bars) or 150 calories per mile. That may not seem like a lot but walking and keeping fit also increases your metabolism so it’s good for you even when you’re not doing it
• Your stress levels fall within minutes of contact with nature – good for body and mind
• Walking crosses all generations and everyone can get involved. Research has shown that if children haven’t had the opportunity to be in the natural environmental on their own before the age of 11 they’re unlikely to use it in later life and therefore benefit from the stress relieving qualities the outdoors can bring
• Walking protects our joints from wear and tear thanks to muscle build-up
• Wherever you are in England, you are never more than 50 miles from a National Trail. There are four in Yorkshire alone.
• Walking improves your immune system for up to 24 hours after a walk which can help prevent you from catching a cold

For more information and for a list of WHI walks visit www.naturalengland.org.uk and click on the Breathing Places website or visit www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/ for more maps of walks in your region, listed under the Things to Do section.

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Notes to editors

For further information please contact the Natural England Press Office on 0845 603 9953, out of hours 07970 098005, email press@naturalengland.org.uk.

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.