ePolitix.com speaks to Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Ramblers, about 'Get Walking Day' and the benefits of walking.
Question: Can you tell us about your organisation? Who do you represent and what your aims?
Tom Franklin: The Ramblers is the charity at the heart of walking in Britain. It is a grass roots network of experts, volunteers, members and walkers who aim to build a walking Britain.
For 75 years it has helped build and protect Britain's 150,000 mile path network. It runs over 28,000 walks a year, and campaigns for better walking routes and more walking opportunities.
The Ramblers makes it easier for people to walk in the countryside, cities, hills, the coast, and on or off the beaten track. It represents everyone from the city stroller to the seasoned hiker.
Question: May 30 is Ramblers' annual Get Walking Day. Can you tell us what the event is about? What are the main objectives?
Tom Franklin: On May 30 Ramblers is calling everyone in Britain to slip on their trainers, boots, and shoes and join them – no matter what age or ability - for this free short walks festival.
Get Walking Day '09 will see hundreds of carnival-spirited short walks take place all over the country, in cities and the countryside alike, to help people of all ages discover the joys of walking and to mark the event. Each walk will be under five miles, open to everyone, and will take place over the weekend (May 30, June 1) in England, Scotland and Wales. Many will include refreshments and special events to celebrate the day.
The aim is, quite simply, to get as many people as we can out and celebrating walking. The short walks are a great intro to walking and we hope they'll kick start a life-time love of the activity.
Question: Why should people get involved in Get Walking Day?
Tom Franklin: It's really good fun! A free day out, in lovely scenery, with lots of like-minded people – who could ask for more?
Question: What are the health benefits of walking? How effective is it in tackling obesity?
Tom Franklin: It's difficult to overstate the health benefits of regular walking. If a pharmaceutical company invented a 'wonder drug' which, if taken by the whole population, would cut obesity, and reduce deaths from coronary heart disease by over a third, people would be clamouring for it on the NHS.
Walking does that, and it also reduces cases of osteoarthritis, helps older people gain strength and balance to reduce bone fractures, dramatically cut diabetes and cardiovascular disease, reduce levels of breast and colon cancer and is proven to lift the mood. It burns up the same amount of calories per mile as jogging, and the government recommends 30 minutes brisk walking a day, five times per week as enough to maintain fitness.
Where walking really has the edge on elite sport or specialised exercise, is that it is so accessible. It's free, and because it can be so easily tailored to fit the individuals pace, it is 'non-threatening' for people who are just embarking on an exercise routine. It's also perfect for people with kids or who have to fit exercise into a hectic schedule. Unlike a trip to the gym, you can take a quick walk to the shops or park at a moments notice and take the kids along.
All this makes walking far and away the form of exercise most likely to succeed in helping 'hard to reach' people, who are currently living the most sedentary lives. Walking will undoubtedly be the keystone of any serious government attempt to tackle the problems of rising inactivity and obesity in the future, too.
Question: Are there economic benefits for towns and the countryside of people walking?
Tom Franklin: Huge, huge benefits. The South West Coastal Path, for example, generates £307m for the regional economy annually. A report commissioned by the Ramblers into the economic and social value of coastal walking, found that better walking facilities at the coast could generate 11,300 jobs.
Walkers really engage with the local environment, stopping to buy shelter, food and equipment directly from the surrounding economy. It's a non-polluting, green activity which inspires local businesses to work sustainably and in ways which improve the local environment. This means that, for local residents, the benefits of walking go way beyond just the purely financial.
Question: Ramblers is supporting the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, currently going through Parliament. Why is this legislation so important?
Tom Franklin: England has one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world but, contrary to popular belief, no legal right to walk along it. New legislation now going through Parliament, the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, contains proposals that would see the creation of a long distance walking route around the whole of the English coast and wider access in a "margin" next to the route. This route will bring huge economic and social benefits and create wonderful new opportunities for everyone to explore and enjoy our coastline. Ramblers is supporting the Bill because:
• As an island nation, we have a natural affinity with the coast; a Ramblers survey found that 94 per cent of the public are in favour of increasing access to the coast.
• It will bring increase tourism and generate income for rural communities and businesses.
• It will be responsible, protecting wildlife and habitats and respecting private property.
