We love Walking. It’s free, it fits around busy schedules, you don’t need special equipment, and you can do it almost anywhere.

Even  a short walk can benefit our physical and mental health. It can help to prevent a range of health conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers and help to improve sleep. 

A walk can also help to clear the head. Walking has been proven to have a positive effect on our mental health too, especially if we get out into green spaces to do it. Walking can increase feelings of self-esteem, improve mood, and reduce stress, anxiety and depression.

A walk with colleagues, friends or family is great for our social health and connecting with other people. 

Working with the University of Edinburgh, a study of the Step Count Challenge showed 93% of participants had experienced benefits.

The top 3 benefits reported were:

• Better physical health
• Increased team morale
• Greater personal enjoyment

Participants’ weekly activity levels improved:

• 1 hour 49 minutes increase in walking for transport
• 55 minutes increase in walking for leisure
• 6 hours 8 minutes decrease in sitting  

An active workforce has been shown to reduce sickness absence, increase staff morale, maintain and/or increase staff retention and productivity. 

The world is in the middle of a climate emergency. Walking more might not seem like it’ll save the world, however if lots of people make one small change, this adds up to create a big difference

In 2017 37% of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions were from transport, 40% of those transport emissions were from cars alone. 

Walking instead of using a car, for a journey of 2 miles, 5 days a week, will save 161 kg CO2e per year*, which is the same amount of CO2e offset by a 3 km² area of native woodland in a year. 

*based on UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for company reporting, 2019