Can you beat the pacer? Today is National Walking Day (or, if you’re on Twitter, #NationalWalkingDay) so Hull City Council’s Public Health team has dug out its challenge video from last year – and you’re invited to see if you can cover more ground in the 10-minute time limit.
The video, speeded up to condense a 10-minute trip into 60 seconds, is filmed with a GoPro camera and is a first-person perspective of the team’s volunteer getting as far as they could across the city centre before a timer goes off. A bit like Speed. But without the bus, sense of impending danger or stellar cast. Still better than Speed 2 though.
Shot back when the poppies installation was cascading from the top of the Maritime Museum and the last bits of public realm works were being finished off, the video is a chance to have a nostalgic look back at the city. Enjoy spotting the odd orange barrier and checking out what’s changed in the past two years.
There’s surely one question on everyone’s lips at this point (not why did Sandra Bullock agree to Speed 2 – nobody can answer that) why 10 minutes? Research from Public Health England (PHE) experts has shown just 10 minutes of brisk walking every day can boost your energy, clear your head and lift your mood. It can help ease lower back pain and reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. Long-term, it can reduce your risk of serious illnesses including heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, dementia and some cancers.
There’s a great, free PHE app to keep track of your walking. The Active 10 app logs your steps, amount of time you’re walking briskly and calories burned. You can set your own goals, starting with one 10-minute period. The app rewards users with virtual trophies for hitting their goals.
So, get the app, get outside and get walking. See how far you can get across the city, in your community, on the school run, during your lunch break. Try getting off the bus early, parking further away from your destination, going out with the dog – or cat, or ferret, any pet will do – taking the kids to the park, going to the corner shop. It all counts.
