The national charity Living Streets is encouraging people to hit the streets and swap four wheels for two feet for National Walking Month (May 2015).
Living Streets says “hundreds of thousands of people” are expected to take part in Walk to Work Week (11-15 May) and Walk to School Week (18-22 May), which are part of its annual flagship event aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of walking.
This year the event is focusing on the “many health benefits of walking and the difference it can make to the health of our nation”.
Living Streets says walking for just 20 minutes a day can “transform fitness levels, improve health and reduce stress and anxiety”.
Workplaces and individual employees can register for Walk to Work Week via the Living Streets’ website, where they can log their walks, compete with colleagues, calculate CO2 savings and see how many calories they’ve walked off.
Walk to School Week (18–22 May) will encourage families to try the school run on foot and see how much less stressful and healthier it can be.
Joe Irvin, Living Streets’ chief executive, said: “Walking just 20 minutes a day can make all the difference to how a person feels both physically and emotionally.
“If everyone in England walked for just 20 minutes a day we would save 137,000 lives and save the economy billions of pounds.
"We want to remind people of this fact and celebrate the many benefits of travelling on foot. National Walking Month is a great opportunity to celebrate all things walking.”
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