Tag Archives: walk

Help the Aged Spring Walk Fundraiser 25-27 April UK

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A host of celebrities including, Kirsty Gallacher, Penny Smith and Amanda Lamb are calling on everyone to join the Help the Aged annual fundraising event, The Big Spring Walk, which takes place from Friday 25th April to Sunday 27th April 2008. Now in its second year, the national event will see people across the UK walking anytime over The Big Spring Walk weekend to raise vital funds for the Charity.

There are a number of ways that individuals can put their best foot forward and take part in The Big Spring Walk whether it is walking to work, school or the shops whilst making a donation or fundraising to make a difference.

Alternatively, there is the option to organise a walk over The Big Spring Walk weekend which could involve anything from a 5 mile hike to a mile long ramble in the countryside – a great way to bring friends and family together!

Help the Aged is also organising 6 walking events which are taking place across the country this spring, including the flagship event in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday 26th April.

Walking is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy and The Big Spring Walk offers people a fun day out whilst raising money for a worthwhile cause – perfect reasons to lace up those walking boots!

All money raised from this year’s event, sponsored by Abbey, will go towards funding the work of Help the Aged, including helping the Charity in its fight to combat poverty among disadvantaged older people.

For further information and a FREE fundraising pack, please contact The Big Spring Walk hotline on 020 7239 1922 or visit www.helptheaged.org.uk/walk

More information:
1. This is the second Big Spring Walk which is being repeated in April 2008 after a successful inaugural year in 2007, and is the annual national fundraising event from Help the Aged.

2. The event will see individuals walking for the Charity on 25th, 26th and 27th April. To find out more, call The Big Spring Walk hotline on 0207 239 1922 or visit www.helptheaged.org.uk/walk

3. Help the Aged is organising a series of flagship events in London and the North-West, including Hyde Park, London on Saturday 26th April, Lyme Park, Cheshire on Saturday 26th April, Carsington Water, Derbyshire on Sunday 27th April, Downham, Lancashire on Saturday 3rd May, Troutbeck, Cumbria on Monday 5th May and The Wirral Way, Merseyside on Saturday 10th May. For more information, call The Big Spring Walk hotline.

4. Abbey’s community programme covers a broad range of activity including employee fundraising, corporate donations and social sponsorship. Staff are involved in fundraising for hundreds of local and national charities, and Abbey supports a small number of these causes every year by sponsoring key events. The Abbey Charitable Trust provides donations to projects that support disadvantaged people through: education and training; local regeneration projects; and financial advice. In 2007, Abbey’s total contribution to the community was valued at £3.2 million.

Abbey is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A. (“Santander”) (SAN.MC, STD.N).

Help the Aged Spring Fundraising Walk April UK

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A host of celebrities including, Kirsty Gallacher, Penny Smith and Amanda Lamb are calling on everyone to join the Help the Aged annual fundraising event, The Big Spring Walk, which takes place from Friday 25th April to Sunday 27th April 2008. Now in its second year, the national event will see people across the UK walking anytime over The Big Spring Walk weekend to raise vital funds for the Charity.

There are a number of ways that individuals can put their best foot forward and take part in The Big Spring Walk whether it is walking to work, school or the shops whilst making a donation or fundraising to make a difference.

Alternatively, there is the option to organise a walk over The Big Spring Walk weekend which could involve anything from a 5 mile hike to a mile long ramble in the countryside – a great way to bring friends and family together!

Help the Aged is also organising 6 walking events which are taking place across the country this spring, including the flagship event in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday 26th April.

Walking is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy and The Big Spring Walk offers people a fun day out whilst raising money for a worthwhile cause – perfect reasons to lace up those walking boots!

All money raised from this year’s event, sponsored by Abbey, will go towards funding the work of Help the Aged, including helping the Charity in its fight to combat poverty among disadvantaged older people.

For further information and a FREE fundraising pack, please contact The Big Spring Walk hotline on 020 7239 1922 or visit www.helptheaged.org.uk/walk

More information:
1. This is the second Big Spring Walk which is being repeated in April 2008 after a successful inaugural year in 2007, and is the annual national fundraising event from Help the Aged.

2. The event will see individuals walking for the Charity on 25th, 26th and 27th April. To find out more, call The Big Spring Walk hotline on 0207 239 1922 or visit www.helptheaged.org.uk/walk

3. Help the Aged is organising a series of flagship events in London and the North-West, including Hyde Park, London on Saturday 26th April, Lyme Park, Cheshire on Saturday 26th April, Carsington Water, Derbyshire on Sunday 27th April, Downham, Lancashire on Saturday 3rd May, Troutbeck, Cumbria on Monday 5th May and The Wirral Way, Merseyside on Saturday 10th May. For more information, call The Big Spring Walk hotline.

4. Abbey’s community programme covers a broad range of activity including employee fundraising, corporate donations and social sponsorship. Staff are involved in fundraising for hundreds of local and national charities, and Abbey supports a small number of these causes every year by sponsoring key events. The Abbey Charitable Trust provides donations to projects that support disadvantaged people through: education and training; local regeneration projects; and financial advice. In 2007, Abbey’s total contribution to the community was valued at £3.2 million.

Abbey is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A. (“Santander”) (SAN.MC, STD.N).

Moderate daily exercise reduces death in men

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Washington: Brisk walking for just 30 minutes daily is enough to half the risk of premature death of men from all causes, according to new research.

The US-government-sponsored analysis — the largest such study ever — found that a regimen of brisk walking 30 minutes a day at least four to six days a week was enough to halve the risk of premature death from all causes.

“As you increase your ability to exercise — increase your fitness — you are decreasing in a step-wise fashion the risk of death,” said study author Peter Kokkinos, director of the exercise testing and research lab in the cardiology department of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

That conclusion applies more or less equally to white and black men, regardless of their prior history of cardiovascular disease. According to Kokkinos, that may be because the veterans in the study all received the same level of care, regardless of income.

This evened the playing field, he said, giving him “great confidence” in the results, which will be published in the Feb. 5 issue ofCirculationand were released online Jan. 22.

In the study, Kokkinos and his team reviewed information gathered by the VA from 15,660 black and white male patients treated either in Palo Alto, Calif., or in Washington, D.C.

The men ranged in age from 47 to 71 and had been referred to a VA medical facility for a clinically prescribed treadmill exercise test sometime between 1983 and 2006. All participants were asked to run until fatigued, at which point the researchers recorded the total amount of energy expended and oxygen consumed.

By tracking fatalities through June 2007, Kokkinos and his colleagues found that for both black and white men it was their fitness level, rather than their age, blood pressure or body-mass index, that was most strongly linked to their future risk for death.

The study proved that it takes relatively little exercise to achieve health benefits.

How to walk your way to fitness in 2008

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London: One of the most popular new year resolutions made each year is to get fit, but how many see it through? Not many, according to research* released in December 2007 which stated that 71% of people failed in their attempt,probably preferring the comfort of their sofa.

Joanna Hall, (pictured above right) one of the UK’s leading fitness and walking experts and co-founder of Walkactive, has five top tips that get results. The good bit is that there isn’t a gym in sight.

Joanna Hall says: “Walking is simple, easy, and just about anyone can do it. Some people are sceptical about many of its benefits, but there is no disputing the research. Walking at the right pace and with the right technique can reduce the risk of many diseases and painful conditions (see Note 3 below). Whether someone is completely new to fitness, wants to firm up, lose excess Christmas pounds, or just get fitter and healthier, walking is perfect.”

Walking has few side effects and can be done by almost anyone, anywhere.

Try Walkactive’s top five tips and start stepping into shape:

1. Invest in a good pedometer – studies show that individuals who wear a pedometer are significantly more physically active than those who don’t.

2. Establish your average daily baseline – use your pedometer to record the number of steps you take per day for four days and work out your average steps per day (ideally you should include a weekend and work day to get a truer reflection of your weekly activity). During the first week you must match your baseline number of steps every day, then for the next 4 weeks, depending on how fit you are, add 500 or 1,000 steps to your baseline and match that new baseline each day. This approach gets you fitter gradually and helps you feel in control.

3. Establish your Optimum Walking Pace™ – this is the pace at which you feel slightly out of breath, feel you need to take off a layer of clothing and is most probably the pace you may walk at if you are late for a meeting but don’t want to break into a run!

4. Fine Footwear – your footwear is the most important asset. Specialist shoes and boots are available for leisure, fitness, hill and mountain pursuits. Look for good support in your ankle and forefoot – comfort and support do matter.

5. Spread your steps – split your days into zones and aim for a certain number of steps in each three or four time zones. This stops you having to achieve a huge step target all in one go at the end of the day, plus challenges you to use walking as a form of travel and reduces your carbon footprint.

Alissa Twisk, (pictured above left) leading charity walking expert and co–founder of Walkactive, says: “Whether it’s walking to get fit, train for a charity walk, firm up, or lose weight, we have trained thousands of people to get the results they deserve. Our courses began in Central London locations but as of January 2008 we have grown to include venues spread around the South East. We also launched our online club in January so we can motivate and encourage in-between training sessions through weekly e-mail support, monthly online chats with Joanna and myself, and exclusive discounts on our courses and events. Anyone wishing to benefit from the power of walking can join our next courses which start from Sunday 20th January.”

Further details of course dates, venues and how to book a place can be
found at www.walkactive.co.uk

*Professor Wiseman, University of Hertfordshire

1. WalkActive courses:

• WalkFit is for those who want to get fit, firm and healthy and includes one one-hour session per week for six weeks – with courses held on Sundays or weekday mornings.

• Walk Firm makes lunchtimes count with a 45 minute cardio walking blast class. A dynamic class that will leaves you feeling toned, refreshed and full of energy for the afternoon. Held in Green Park on Thursdays.

• Baby Buggy and Me helps mums regain their body through one 50 minute session a week for six weeks.

• Walk Off Weight, is a 28 day course that gets weight and inches off through twice-weekly one-hour sessions and weekly 30 minute motivational talks.

2. WalkActive is run by two fitness and walking experts – Joanna Hall and Alissa Twisk.

• Joanna Hall is one of the UK’s leading fitness experts and is passionate about walking. A regular on TV and radio, she is creator and presenter of four exercise DVD’s and author of nine books, including three top ten best sellers. Joanna is committed to delivering programmes that work.

• Alissa Twisk has for the past eight years trained and encouraged hundreds of people as they prepare to complete charity walking events. Her knowledge and hands on experience is widely sought.

3. The health benefits of walking.

• Walking can help prevent heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, constipation, osteoporosis, impotence, high blood pressure and depression

• Walking can help improve metabolism, breathing, circulation, concentration, memory, sleep, sense of well being, overall mood and stress levels

• Walking can take inches off hips, thighs, bottoms and waistlines, manage weight, and strengthen muscles, bones and joints