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Boost your health with a walk to work

More than 80% of us travel to work by car. This week (11th-17th May) is Walk to Work Week so the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging everyone to leave the car at home to boost your health.

work3Being more physically active and reaching the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended target of a minimum 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week can help you manage your weight, reduce your risk of developing a range of chronic conditions including some cancers, Type 2 diabetes, as well as reduce anxiety and stress.

Colette Brolly, the PHA Lead on Physical Activity, said, “150 minutes may sound like a lot but break that down to smaller chunks of 30 minutes per day at least five days a week and it’s an achievable goal.

“There’s no better way to get going than doing something simple like walking to work. It can be all too easy to slip into a routine of jumping in the car and taking the short journey to work, when you may be able to walk it.

“If you take public transport, you could take the bus but just hop off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way to work. Building these small things in to your daily routine means you can get more active and boost your health,” she insisted.

“Spread the word about Walk to Work Week in your office and you might find that others are interested too. Walking in a group is a great way to stay motivated, so ask if any of your colleagues live near you and walk to work together.

“Plus it’s a great chance to blow away the cobwebs from a sleepy morning and walking home again is a great way of de-stressing if you’ve had a tough day. Not only will it benefit your health, it’ll also benefit your pocket, saving you money on bus fares, petrol for your car and parking fees,” Colette adds.

A range of helpful tips on getting active can be found on the Public Health Agency websites www.getalifegetactive.com and www.choosetolivebetter.com

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Posted by on May 11 2015. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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