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May is known as National Walking Month in the UK, set up by the charity Living Streets, to raise awareness for the health and wellbeing benefits of regular walking. The hashtag #Try20 refers to this month’s challenge of going for a 20-minute walk every day.
Regular walking is known for its many benefits to your physical and mental health and wellbeing. A 20-minute walk can reduce the risk of several preventable health conditions, such as cancer, depression, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
However, walking is also known to be good for the environment. Cutting down on driving and public transport for shorter journeys can reduce your carbon footprint, as well as air pollution, congestion and road danger. It can also save you some money on transport and get you fit and active!
#Try20 tips
May isn’t over yet!
For the remainder of May, follow our tips below to fit in a 20-minute walk into your schedule per day:
- Invite your friends and family for a walk – If you don’t fancy walking alone, bring along a family member or a friend for some company.
- Try a walking meeting at work – Get out of that stuffy office (or your own home) and walk while you talk!
- Let nature guide you – Try to find some greenery during your walk to help you feel more connected to nature. A local park will do just the trick.
- Walk to and from work – Even if you can’t walk the entire journey, 20 minutes makes all the difference. Try a ‘fake commute’ if you’re working from home!
- Do some sightseeing – If you live in a big city like London, there’s plenty of sightseeing you can do while walking for added entertainment. Why not walk along the riverside on the South Bank for some picturesque views?
Rachel Byrne, our Marketing Manager at Coin Street, has written a few words on why she loves going for a walk:
“Not a day goes by where I don't go for a walk. It kept me sane during lockdown. On the weekends I would regularly walk to Hampstead Heath and back from my house in Stoke Newington, often walking for up to 6 hours. In my opinion, walking is an underrated form of exercise. When I walk for an hour in the evening or during lunchtime, I can burn anything between 400 and 500 calories! I love it. It's amazing for my mental health too. Being out in nature helps me to reset after a busy day at work. Sometimes I will take a podcast, an audiobook, or music with me, but mostly I just listen to the world around me, and my own thoughts. I recommend a daily walk to everyone and anyone, even for just 30 minutes. For me, it makes all the difference.”
For the final days of May this year, #Try20 and incorporate a 20-minute walk into your routine every day!
Your body, mind, finances, and environment will thank you for it.
