Walk your way to wellbeing

Posted on Aug 7, 2020

There are many benefits in taking a brisk walk, even if only for ten minutes. Active Calderdale bring you the details for Local Groups and Inspiration in your way to better health. After all, even the biggest journey starts with a first step!

Walking – Benefits, Local Groups and Inspiration

 A Starter for 10

A brisk ten minute walk each day can make a huge difference to your health and happiness:

• It gets the heart pumping faster,
• Can make you feel better, more energetic, improve your mood and meet new friends,
• Over time, walking can improve your fitness and make it easier to do everyday activities, like food shopping or gardening,
• and it helps to lower the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

It’s recommended that we should be aiming for 150 minutes of activity each week but 10 minutes a day can help, or try 10 minutes 2 or 3 times each day.

If you don’t feel up to a brisk walk then just getting out for a stroll is a great start. Whether you’re walking to work, getting out with the kids, walking to the shops or taking the dog to the park, walking can be simple to fit into your everyday life.

Walking Apps

Doing 10 minutes of brisk walking is a simple, achievable way to add more activity into your day. Start small and build up from there with the NHS Active10 App.

If you want something more advanced, the British Heart Foundation have together pulled 11 free walking apps for you to explore.

Local Walking Groups
Mixy Marchers are a local resident lead walk and talk group in Mixenden, who walk twice a week from Ash Green Lower Children’s Centre, meeting 5.50 for 6pm start. Check out Mixy Marchers FaceBook page for more details.

CREW usually offer free and friendly guided walks around Calderdale, including weekly walks from Keighly Road and Beechwood medical surgeries and Illingworth Moor Methodist Church. These are currently postponed but CREW are sharing  self-guided walks  –  The Mount Tabor route could be started in Mixenden.

St Malachy’s Walk Group are not currently meeting but as restrictions lift , will be walking again from St Malachys Church on the first Sunday of each month at 12:30 and walk 3-5 miles with an option of a meal at the end. Contact Philip on 01422 259761 for more details.

 Zoom Walk
Bored of walking on your own, but not ready to walk with others? Or want to help friends or family get outdoors more? Combine a walk and a catch up with a Zoom chat.

If you have a smartphone, download the Zoom App and set up a call with family or friends. For more help see Zoom FAQ’s.  Make sure cameras are on.

In the top left of the screen is a switch camera icon  which changes the screen from selfie mode (where it shows your face) to normal camera mode so you’ll all be able to see where you and everyone else is walking. This way you can all share interesting things on your stroll, it may be plants in your garden, views across the valley, or places which spark memories.  Before you know it you’ll have had a nice walk and chat and probably learnt some things along the way.

Still need a bit of inspiration?

Living Streets #Try20Tips is for people working from home, workers still heading to their workplace and anyone else wanting to get a bit more active. #Try20 tips can help you find new ways to fit 20 minutes of walking to your day. Go on, spin the wheel and see you’re challenge for the day.

Or check out Walking in Calderdale and see the benefits and ideas Calderdale and Kirklees Recovery College have got from walking.

Stay Safe
Where ever you walk, please remember to keep yourself and others safe by following the local government restrictions.

Harmony Hub, a new radio segment on Phoenix FM by Awakening Arts

Posted on Aug 7, 2020

Awakening Arts are launching Harmony Hub, a radio segment for people with dementia and older people self-isolating.

Before the Covid lockdown they ran a creative group at the Town Hall. They hope Harmony Hub will help bring back some of the sweet and simple human connections that are much missed.

The show will air on Phoenix Fm, our local community radio station on 96.7 FM. It will be on every Monday at 1pm, starting on the 17th of August. We also plan to release the episode as a podcast on our website www.awakeningarts.co.uk to increase accessibility.

The show will include some guided movement, listen to some poems and play some memorable songs, do an interview with an inspiring elder and have a guest slot with a local musician. We’ll be supplying a supporting handout which would provide a basis for conversation, memory sharing and some ideas and materials for a related art activity.

Here’s a link to some more information about the project on the Awakening Hearts website:

https://www.awakeningarts.co.uk/harmony-hub-support

They  will be having regular check-ins with listeners, both individuals and care home residents, who will help guide and refine the show; making sure that it will best serve older residents at this time.

Awakening Arts  are really keen to reach individuals self-isolating at home and have creativity and reflection packs to send out to people in their homes. If you would like to receive one of their art packs, please get in touch.

Contact Awakening Arts