NEWS RELEASES
Step Out to Health and Meet New People
16th July 2004
Opportunities to become more healthy and meet new people by walking more are gaining much interest in the Horsham District.
So much so that walkers from a local Health Walks programme joined forces with a similar scheme from Slough on Tuesday this week (13 July).
More than 50 walkers, all keen to keep themselves fit and healthy, participated in the lively social walk that took in the lovely West Sussex countryside, including part of the Riverside Walk and Peddlers Way in Horsham.
The Horsham Health Walks scheme, “Step out to Health”, is part of the national ‘Walking for Health’ initiative, funded by The Countryside Agency and British Heart Foundation and is co-ordinated locally by Horsham District Council. It is designed to maintain and improve the fitness of people of all ages and offers daily walks at 3 levels of difficulty, in different locations across the District. All walks are designed to be completed within two hours and form part of a balanced routine of exercise that we should all be thinking about.
A keen walker herself and taking part in the walk, Cllr Vivien Lyth, Cabinet Member for Community Partnerships and Housing Services at Horsham District Council, said:
"There is so much publicity at the moment about how including a little moderate exercise in your daily routine is beneficial.
“Walking is described by experts as almost the perfect exercise whilst support and encouragement to walk comes from the 300 health walk schemes across the country and from many TV programmes.
“There has never been a better time to start and the Council is doing a lot to encourage people to do this locally.”
More information about the ‘Step out to health’ Walks scheme and free brochures packed full of details about walks across the Horsham District are available from Emma Stafford at Horsham District Council on 01403 215269 or email at leisure@horsham.gov.uk