Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK.
May is National Walking Month, which encourages us to leave the car at home and find ways to incorporate more walking into our days. Walking a little each day can offer a great benefit to our overall health and wellbeing, including our heart. It is a low-impact form of exercise so most people can give it a go. Right now is also the perfect time of year to get outside as the evenings lighten and temperatures start to warm up. Here are some ideas to help you clock up more steps this May and beyond.
Set a goal: Setting a goal and planning can really help you make walking a daily habit. Walk for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week is a great start to improve or maintain your overall health. Plan your week every Sunday evening and schedule in your walking times to make sure they happen.
Walk with a friend: Finding a walking partner can really help you stay motivated and committed to your scheduled walks. Another benefit of walking with a friend is you are more likely to try harder, so if you are heading out on a longer walk, walking with someone else will push you to try as hard as you can. It is also a great opportunity for catching up and checking in with a friend.
Make it fun: Get the kids involved by going on a scavenger hunt or wildlife spotting walk. You could simply head out with the family and look out for certain colour cars, anything to add an element of fun.
Heart Research UK is the charity dedicated to your heart. They inspire and invest in pioneering medical research, ground-breaking training and education, and in communities to improve their heart health for themselves. For over 50 years they have driven advancements in the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease to benefit patients as soon as possible.
In the last 10 years, Heart Research UK has funded over £10.2m in medical research in hospitals and universities across the UK, as well as £2.2m on innovative community-based lifestyle projects to improve the heart health of the nation. For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk.
To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart Recipes or have a look through our Healthy Heart Cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers.
If you’d like to support Heart Research UK’s vital work into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk for inspiration on how you could help.
