Les and Linda

We thought readers might like to meet some of the people who actually walk on our walks so here is the first of a short series of such stories.

Les Simmons heard about Walking for Health at his local diabetic support group where he met Ann Gillespie, a regular walker and assistant Walking for Health walk leader in the Forest of Dean. She told Les about the local health walks and how they had helped her manage her diabetes and her blood pressure, and encouraged him to join a walk.

Ready for our Thursday walk in Lydney

Linda Simmons heard about Walking for Health at her local Slimming World and started going along with regular walker, Amy, as a way of getting more active, losing some weight and improving her fitness.

They went along to their first health walk three years ago and now they go regularly, two or three times a week. During the school holidays they often take their grandchildren along too. Les says “I have been able to manage my diabetes by taking regular exercise (Health Walks) and by managing my diet.  Linda and I often go to the same walk, but, because we walk at different speeds, we rarely walk together. We usually end up having coffee together with the other walkers and always go home together!”

Les and Linda are ‘incomers’ to the area and have found the Walking for Health walks a great way of making new friends and building a personal network for themselves. Linda told us “The social side of the health walks  is as important as the physical activity. Its easy to chat to people while you walk along and then there’s always plenty of chat over a cuppa afterwards.”

Walking Works, a report commissioned by Walking for Health and supported by Public Health England, demonstrates that walking is the easiest and best way of getting people active. It can be downloaded here http://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/get-walking/walking-works

Locally, there are organised Health Walks across Gloucestershire and details can be found here http://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder - just type in a postcode to find the nearest.