England's councils urged to get the public walking after health changes

[TheGUYuk]

England's councils urged to get the public walking after health changes    Liz Roberts, Reporter   
                                                Friday 05 April 2013 07:36 PM GMT     
No subsequent updates have been made                                                 
 
Walking is one of the most accessible ways of getting active, the Ramblers said Local councils must recognise the value of walking to England’s health and promote ways to get people back on their feet.
That’s the view of Britain’s biggest walking charity as the Government shifts health promotion responsibilities to local bodies.
The move is part of the controversial Health and Social Care Act and means local health and wellbeing boards will now be responsible in England for improving the public’s health.
But the Ramblers said they face an uphill struggle, with only a third of England’s adults keeping active enough to stay healthy, while a third do less than 30 minutes’ physical activity a week.
Inactivity increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes by 25 to 30 per cent and can shorten lifespan by three to five years. “Our sedentary lifestyles are literally killing us early,” the charity said.
http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2013/04/05/englands-councils-urged-to-get-the-public-walking-after-health-changes
 

[barewirewalker]

What happens if the Ramblers Association and the councils do get the other 2/3 of the population walking. Since the RA took on 'Walking for Health' the emphasis for campaigning for the lost ways and accessing valuable cross country infrastructure has fallen by the wayside.


By all means get people walking but don't forget the access network they will need and a countryside that is welcoming enough to encourage everyone to walk by making access easy and not at the end of a long car drive.


Accessible from Public Transport for those unable to afford fuel costs.


A network that can pass the scrutiny of Health and Safety assessments.


And a fair deal for those ratepayers who live in areas that are short of rights of way.

[ChrisWM]

What happens if the Ramblers Association and the councils do get the other 2/3 of the population walking. Since the RA took on 'Walking for Health' the emphasis for campaigning for the lost ways and accessing valuable cross country infrastructure has fallen by the wayside.


By all means get people walking but don't forget the access network they will need and a countryside that is welcoming enough to encourage everyone to walk by making access easy and not at the end of a long car drive.


Accessible from Public Transport for those unable to afford fuel costs.


A network that can pass the scrutiny of Health and Safety assessments.


And a fair deal for those ratepayers who live in areas that are short of rights of way.

Makes sense to me.  Awareness is one thing in health issues, but infrastructure to support the follow-through is essential.  I manage an NHS medical centre, and strongly believe prevention is better than cure any day.  I guess like anything else, the powers that be only respond to demands for facilities if there is enough pressure applied in sufficient numbers.