Walking is Man’s Best Medicine
“Walking is Man’s best medicine” Hippocrates Greek Physician (460 BC – 377 BC)
Guest blog by Fiona Murray, Public Health Coordinator for Kincardine & Mearns, NHS Grampian
When we ask ourselves what makes the biggest difference to our health there are a range of responses that come to mind: healthy diet, stopping smoking, the list goes on and yes these all have an impact. However, guess what research shows is the number 1 activity for improving health? Exercise!
Now you may be thinking exercise can be expensive when you consider gym / club memberships, personal trainers or even some outdoor pursuits but there is an activity that is free and by that I am talking about walking!
Check out this great film by Dr. Mike Evans from the Health Design Lab in Toronto Canada. Even if we couldn’t feel the benefits of gentle exercise, this clip would convince you!
Everyday Walking
Taking a 30 minute walk 5 times per week can significantly improve your quality of life. Walking doesn’t even have to be an organised activity; it might be walking to work, jumping off the bus one stop early or walking to the local shop. These are all day to day activities that can count towards your 30 minutes of exercise.
Walking in Wonderful Scotland!
For those of us already walking, we can make the most of the outstanding opportunities in the North East of Scotland; with stunning scenery and landscapes walking could not be more enjoyable! Here’s a link to some local walks in the Kincardine & Mearns area:
Walkhighlands.co.uk/Aberdeenshire/Stonehaven & Lower Deeside
So, the final question is can you find 30 minutes in your day to take a walk and improve your quality of life?
Leave us your comments and let’s see if we can help each other find the time!
Author: Fiona Murray – Public Health Co-ordinator, Kincardine & Mearns, NHS Grampian. Fiona’s role in the area is to support activity to help local residents stay healthy. Fiona is very active herself, having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago and having just spent a year doing voluntary services in public health in South Sudan. Fiona can be contacted on f.murray@nhs.net or Tel: 0776 8356299.
K&M Communities 
04/08/2014 at 3:09 pm
I usualy go for a walk at lunch time- it stops me from being sleepy in the afternoon! It was really hot to-day
07/08/2014 at 8:44 am
[…] are lots of great walks in Kincardine and Mearns. Click here to read our previous post on walking for some inland K&M walks and the benefits of […]