In his third post for ‘The Step in the Right Direction Hull Blog’, Paul Schofield, a tour guide in the city for more than 30 years, talks about how you can improve your health and wellbeing by taking a few small steps each day.
May is very much the month of movement.
With the weather slowly improving and the days getting longer, there are more opportunities to get out-and-about.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by walking or wheeling and there are several national awareness campaigns taking place in May encouraging you to move more for your mental health and to discover the magic of walking.
As I’ve said before, walking is perfect for all ages and abilities and offers lots of benefits.
Beyond the obvious health and wellbeing benefits, walking is also good for our environment, as it helps to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Walking also helps us to save money, which is very important at a time when many we are all watching what we spend.
To inspire you to take those all-important first steps, here are the details of those campaigns taking place in May and how you can get involved.
National Walking Month
Firstly, May is National Walking Month – a campaign organised by Living Streets, a charity that promotes pedestrian safety, and supported by Hull City Council.
This year, people are being invited to discover the #MagicOfWalking and celebrate the many health and happiness benefits of walking and wheeling.
To help you get your steps in, Living Streets has produced 20 tips to help you fit 20 minutes of walking into your day.
From inviting friends for a walk to taking a post-work stroll, how many #Try20 tips can you do during National Walking Month and beyond?
Mental Health Awareness Week
May is also the month of Mental Health Awareness Week – which takes place from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May.
This year, the theme of the week is ‘Movement: moving more for our mental health’.
Movement is important for mental health. But many people struggle to move enough for many different reasons.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation and Hull City Council, want to help people find moments for movement in their daily routines. For example, going for a walk in their neighbourhood, putting on their favourite music and dancing or chair exercises when watching television or at work – it all counts!
Click here to find out how you can take part
Walk to School Week
Walk to School Week takes place from Monday 20 to Friday 24 May.
Another event by Living Streets, supported by Hull City Council, this year’s challenge encourages children to travel actively to school every day of the week.
Meeting various magical beings along the way, they will learn about the important reasons to walk or wheel and its benefits for individuals, communities and the planet.
Follow the link to find out more and how you can take part
These exciting initiatives provide the perfect opportunity to build more walking into your daily routine without having to make big changes.
For more information about walking in Hull, including maps of scenic urban routes, details of FREE tours and trails and ideas for locations to explore on foot, like the city’s parks and green spaces, visit: www.travelhull.co.uk/walk
Until next time, happy walking!
Paul Schofield
Hull Tour Guide
