Local Communities Encouraged to Move More as Part of Innovative Project
Wycombe Wanderers Sports & Education Trust (WWSET), the official charity of Wycombe Wanderers FC, are pleased to be supporting a new health initiative to educate people about the benefits of sitting less and moving more which has kicked off across areas of High Wycombe and Aylesbury this month.
The 16-month Active Communities pilot, which is funded by Buckinghamshire Council, will be run in West Wycombe, Booker, Cressex & Castlefield, Abbey and Aylesbury North West, and is the first of its kind in the UK.
The benefits of movement and exercise are well publicised but perhaps less well known is that sitting down for more than 20 minutes at a time is bad for our health and the longer we sit, the worse the effects become. Scientific research shows that those who spend more time sitting down for long periods are more at risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and according to studies, 13% more likely to get cancer.
The good news is that just small amounts of movement and activity can have a big impact. Stand up for one minute and you start to burn calories that you wouldn’t if you remained sitting. If you stand up for an additional three hours every Monday to Friday every week, you would burn over 30,000 calories a year. That’s equivalent to the same amount you would burn if you ran 10 marathons. Regular periods of standing throughout your day can also add years to your life with studies showing you could live up to two years longer.
Over the coming weeks and months, a range of different community engagement events and initiatives will take place with people of all ages and backgrounds to encourage them to get involved. A series of Active Park walks are planned together with work to recruit volunteers to raise awareness in their own communities. Organisers will work with a variety of groups and organisations including schools, faith settings and businesses to spread the word.
Dr Jane O’Grady, Buckinghamshire Council’s Director of Public Health said:
“This initiative is not about getting people to take up a sport, go to the gym or to start running marathons. We are simply asking people not to sit for too long. Just this one, small change can have a really positive impact on health and wellbeing. Of course, we still want to encourage people to be as active as possible and to eat healthily but for those who really struggle to get out for a walk or any other gentle form of exercise, this initiative encourages them with the knowledge that just by standing up more and sitting down less they are having a positive impact on their health and even the smallest amount of movement can help.”
To find out more about the Active Communities project and how to participate visit: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/activecommunities.
May is officially National Walking Month so what better time to start moving more? For more information visit the Living Streets website.
