Walk more to improve your health and well-being

Slowly increasing your daily step count and incorporating more walking into daily routines could improve the country’s health, the Public Health Agency of Northern Ireland has said.

Medical experts say being more active in daily activities such as gardening and playing outdoors with children could make a big difference when it comes to reducing obesity rates.

About two-thirds of adults and a quarter of children in Northern Ireland are obese or Overweightwith an average number of steps around 3,000 to 4,000.

Dr Hannah McCourt, senior health and social wellbeing improvement manager at PHA, said people should take advantage of the fact that walking is free and can easily be incorporated into daily life.

She said: “We would like to see people increase their steps and physical activity. A brisk walk can reduce anxietyhelp manage weight, lower your blood pressure and can help you sleep better.

By walking for an extra half hour each day, you can burn an additional 1,000 calories per week. Brisk walking provides additional benefits by improving heart health and burning excess calories.

Foot clubs, which encourage brisk walking, are growing in popularity, and more and more women are now taking part in the sport.

Experts say building your steps slowly over time is a good approach. This can be done by making small changes, like getting off the bus a few stops earlier or parking farther away.

They also pointed out that for increased movements to be effective, people must also be aware of how many calories they consume.

As part of PHA’s 2021 Obesity Prevention Campaign, overweight people have been urged to reduce their portion sizes.

It is predicted that by 2030 an additional 11 million adults in the UK will be obese and could suffer from obesity-related diseases including certain cancers and Type 2 diabetes.