Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is sharing the different ways people can enjoy the outdoors across the county and keep fit and improve their overall wellbeing.
Regardless of your fitness level, it’s never too late to get moving and include some sort of daily exercise into your life. Spending more time in nature walking is one way to increase physical activity whilst enjoying the great outdoors. You may want to ask a friend or a family member to join you on a daily walk, which is a great way to help keep you motivated. You could also take that time to relax and unwind from the days stresses by listening to some music or your favourite podcast to help make your walk more enjoyable.
Warwickshire has an abundance of beautiful country parks which provide an easy way to get out into the fresh air and start walking. Being out in the open is a great way to clear you mind and help maintain your mental health, as well as boosting your physical wellbeing. The parks and greenways offer signposted nature walks for a range of abilities and accessibility needs, while the visitor centres at Kingsbury Water Park and Ryton Pools Country Park also offer maps of longer routes through the surrounding areas. This is a great way of taking in the beautiful surroundings of Warwickshire, while getting those all-important steps into your daily routine. Bikes are available for hire at Ryton Pools Country Park, Kingsbury Water Park and Stratford Greenway.
WCC also has a series of core strengthening videos guiding you through various exercises, including shoulder rolls, chest stretches and ankle stretches, to help strengthen your mobility. These videos can be useful for you if you aren’t able to move around as much as you would like. You can watch and follow these videos from the comfort of your own home and more importantly, at your own pace.
Top tips
- Take a look at the core strengthening videos if you would like to strengthen your mobility and get outdoors more.
- Make walking a more enjoyable experience by inviting friends and/or family to join you. Alternatively, take some time for yourself to destress by listening to your favourite music or podcast.
- Join a local walking club in Warwickshire, it’s a great place to make new friends and improve your mobility at the same time.
- Take time for yourself and your own mental health by visiting one of the beautiful country parks throughout the county or by discovering new areas to explore near where you live.
Councillor Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said, “Aiming to be more active is a great way to look after both physical and mental health. As we are now approaching the end of summer, making the most of the warm weather can help to encourage us to get outdoors more. People can also view the council’s gentle exercise videos to get active if they have reduced mobility or are just getting started.”
Throughout August, WCC has been sharing different ways to enjoy the outdoors in Warwickshire throughout the summer to help improve physical and mental health. For more information about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/health.
View the gentle exercise videos here.
More information about Warwickshire’s country parks and greenways.