How many of us drive to the shops when they are easily within walking distance or catch a bus to get to the other end of the high street?
Our culture of apathy towards walking is contributing to the over 50s becoming obese and unfit, according to walking expert and health motivator Sarah Liveing, (53) Founder of Walking Works, who is urging us to take a 30 minute walk three times a week.
Walking is so essential to daily life that it can be connected to everything from great expeditions and feats of endurance, to walking into your home after a hard day at work or your baby’s first steps.
However, Liveing believes that our increased reliance on public transport, a culture of multi-tasking too many things, combined with jobs where we spend the majority of time sitting is leading to the dangerous idea that taking the quickest method of transport is far more preferable to walking.
Liveing doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk having lost eight stone through walking and having built her business around walking. Walking Works takes Liveing’s already successful scheme (Walking for Weight Loss) of structured walking alongside healthy eating to businesses and allowing them to reap the rewards such as decreased health risks and reducing sick leave days, better staff retention as well improving communications between staff.
“In my experience of working with clients, the one message that consistently comes across is a sense of surprise that one can do something as basic as walking to improve fitness and aid weight loss.
“We live in a society where the message of extreme fitness and workouts are promoted, largely in part by the celebrities we tend to worship. Who has the time? Some of us also feel intimidated to go the gym or find it too expensive.
“Research has shown that moderate regular exercise is actually much better for you than an extreme workout especially if you aren’t that fit to begin with, carry injuries or perhaps are feeling your age a little.”
However, the vast majority of us are not tempted by the idea. So why are we all apparently so apathetic towards walking? Sarah believes it is largely due to our lifestyles: “If you compare today’s society to that of 100, 50 or even 20 years ago, it is easy to see where the problem lies.
“The rapid growth of car ownership has had a huge transformational effect on us as a society. It is now considered the norm to take the car everywhere, even on a five minute dash to the shops or to school.
“Secondly, we are now in the office or at work for longer, meaning more time is spent sat down and physically sedentary. The effect of these longer working hours is that we are exhausted and are a highly stressed and overworked nation. Many use this tiredness as the ideal excuse to avoid exercising.”
Cognitive neuroscientist Dr Lynda Shaw agrees: “We are juggling so many balls in the air these days it can be hard to prioritise going to the gym or organising sport. Set yourself small, realistic and manageable goals.
“There is nothing more de-motivating than feeling like you’re failing. Work exercise into your routine by getting off the bus one stop early or parking your car in the carpark as far as you can from the entrance of the supermarket. Succeeding in your goals can be the most motivational way of continuing with what you’re trying to achieve.”
Walking working
Fran Slater (age 53) lives in Hughenden Valley in Bucks and works full time at Pinewood Studios for a membership organisation in film and television.
Fran was unhappy with her weight and suffered from several ailments.
By training with Sarah Liveing, eating well on the Paleo Diet and additionally going to the gym, Fran has been able to come off her medication, lose weight and get fit.
Her maximum weight was 16 stone 1 in August 2013. She is now 11 stone 8 and has lost 4 and a half stone.
Her goal weight is 10 stone 7. Fran has two grown up children.
