Aberdeenshire Health Walks Programme The Fly Cup Inverurie

Aberdeenshire Health Walks Programme The Fly Cup, Inverurie, 7 th June 2018 George Howie Principal Health Improvement Officer Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership

Overview of presentation • • Definition of a health walk. Aberdeenshire health walks programme. Promoting health walks in Aberdeenshire. Benefits of health walks.

Health walks • A health walk: • - is a friendly group walk offered regularly - is a short walk, less than an hour long and usually around 30 mins - is led by a trained volunteer (and the route has been risk assessed) - has a short warm up at the start, followed by a brisk walk and then a short cool down at the end - welcomes new walkers who would benefit from being more active - is an opportunity to meet new people. Aberdeenshire Health Walks programme jointly funded by Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and Paths for All since Jan 2017, managed by a Health Walk Coordinator.

Aberdeenshire health walks • Programme has 4 strategic ambitions: • Increase public awareness of the health related benefits of • • • walking and opportunities to participate in health walks. • Increase the number of people participating in health walks. • Increase the number of new health walks groups. • Ensure new and existing health walk groups receive training, advice and support. 15 volunteer led Health Walk groups in Aberdeenshire offering 21 weekly and 1 monthly walking opportunities. Includes Dementia and cancer friendly walks. Approx 512 active walkers. Aberdeenshire Health Walk groups part of a national network of over 140 groups, 85% of people in Scotland live within 2 km of a health walk.

Raising the profile of health walks in Aberdeenshire • Group specific promotional material. • Health Walks page on NHS Grampian website (294 views since launch • 13/3/18). Aberdeenshire Health Walks Facebook page (1360 people since launch 14/4/18).

Raising the profile of health walks in Aberdeenshire

Benefits of health walks • • • Improved confidence and increased motivation to get out and walk. Improved general physical fitness/mobility. Positive impact on long term conditions. Increased social networks and reduced isolation. Increased awareness of opportunities within the wider community. “I was doing exercise classes twice a week but still struggling with walking. I have COPD so I found things like going to shops with my husband difficult - I had to stop a lot and use my puffer. I decided to join the walk but had reservations about holding people up. The walk leader adapted the walk for me (suggesting a shorter walk or I could come back early if needed) and put me at ease. It works for me! “