This document discusses walking and physical activity projects supported by Paths for All in Scotland. It provides information on the types of support offered including grants, training, and development officer support. Several case studies are described, including intergenerational walking projects involving care homes, sheltered housing, and community groups. Health benefits of regular walking are highlighted. Opportunities for both traditional health walks and more innovative projects like walking football and dementia-friendly walks are discussed.

1. Copyright © 2015 Paths for All
Walking
through
Generations
Frances Bain, Manager
Hazel Robinson, Senior Development Officer
#WalkforHealth @pathsforall

2. • What support we offer
• Grant, peds, training, network, comms,

9. Smarter Choices,
Smarter Places
THE FUNDING:
£11.5m Total to be spent on
‘smarter measures’ by March 2016
£5m Grant Fund
£6.5m Match Funding
160Active &
sustainable travel
projects across
Scotland
SMARTER CHOICES, SMARTER PLACES PROJECTS
• Public awareness events
• Personal travel planning
• Signage & mapping
• Car clubs
• and lots more
• School travel campaigns
• Workplace travel campaigns
SUPPORTS OVER

10. Copyright © 2015 Paths for All
Let’s Get
Moving!

11. Question 1
What is a health walk?
A) a long, high level walk requiring transport to
get there
B) a short, social, local, low level walk often led
by volunteers and FREE
C) a short, competitive, local, high level walk

12. Question 1 – the answer is B
What is a health walk?
B) A Short, Social, Local, Low Level Walk
Often led by volunteers and FREE

13. Q 1 more info
Paths for All definition of a health walk
• By short we mean anything from 10-60mins
• Local refers to the local community where people live or
work without the need for transport to get there
• Low level and within a community e.g. local park, local
path, pavement walk. Not requiring any special
equipment
• Social walking as a group to meet other people in a
friendly and supportive manner
• Led by volunteers
• FREE – open to everyone in the community

14. Question 2
Regular physical activity can reduce
your risk of:
A) Heart attacks and strokes
B) Diabetes
C) Cancer (including breast and bowel cancer)
D) Hip fractures
E) All of the above

15. Question 2 – the answer is E
E) All of the above
Regular physical activity reduces the
risk of:

16. Q2 more info – benefits of
walking
Physical inactivity results in around 2,500 premature
deaths in Scotland each year (that is 7 a day), costs
the NHS in Scotland around £91 million annually
and is the second biggest cause of mortality (joint
with smoking, after high blood pressure).
Furthermore it is estimated that getting Scotland
active would increase life expectancy by more than
a year given our current inactivity levels.
Source: Let’s get Scotland Walking – National Walking Strategy 2014

17. Question 3
Which of the following are recommended by
the Chief Medical officers of the UK for
adults?
A) 150 mins per week of moderate intensity
exercise
B) Break up your sitting time
C) Exercise twice a week to build strength and
improve balance

18. Q3 - the answer is A, B, C
All 4 Chief Medical Officers in the UK
agree on the physical activity guidance.
Regular walking plus strength and
balance exercises is a great way to keep
active and healthy

19. Question 4
Why is walking such a good form of physical
activity?
A) It can raise your IQ level
B) Most people can do it, it’s low risk, free and
you don’t need special equipment
C) It increases your carbon footprint

20. Q4 the answer is B
Why is walking such a good form of
physical activity?
B) Most people can do it, it’s low risk,
free and you don’t need special
equipment

21. Q 4 more info
There are many and varied potential gains from
Scotland walking more – feeling healthier –
physically and mentally; getting fitter; employers
having a more productive workforce; more
welcoming environments; feeling part of the
community and less isolated; saving money on fuel
and helping achieve Scotland’s low carbon targets;
and local economies benefiting from increased
footfall.
Source: Let’s Get Scotland Walking – National Walking Strategy 2014

22. Question 5
How would you know you are walking
at moderate intensity pace?
A) You would be very out of breath and
puffed out
B) You would be able to talk as you walk
C) Feel your heart beating faster, feel
warmer, breathe a little faster

23. Question 5 the answer is B and
C
How do you recognise moderate
intensity activity?
B) You will be able to talk as you walk
C) You will feel your heart beating
faster, feel a little warmer, breathe a
little faster

24. Question 6
What are the 3 stages of a Health Walk?
A) Slow walk, brisk walk, cup of tea
B) Warm up, brisk walk, cool down
C) quick, quick, slow

25. Question 6 the answer is B
What 3 components should a health walk
consist of?
B) Warm up, brisk walk, cool down

26. Question 6 more info
It is ideal if you can include a warm up, a
brisk section and a cool down in your walks.
For many inactive walkers however, their
pace will increase over time, but the main
thing is that people should enjoy the Health
Walks and work on maintaining or
increasing their activity.

27. CMO 2011 ‘Start Active, Stay Active’
Benefits of activity

30. • Training
• Grants
• Pedometer Packs
• Development Officer Support
• Networking Opportunities
• Case Study Examples
How we can help?

31. Perth Collage UHI and Care
Home Project
Perth College UHI, 15 HND in Fitness,
Health and Exercise trained by Paths
for All in Strength and Balance Exercises
and Walk Leader Training.
• Students planned, prescribed and delivered weekly exercise
sessions over 12 weeks in five Perth city care homes.
• The strength and balance exercises consist of 10 simple
supported standing and seated exercises
• Students also incorporated chair based exercises to music,
physical activity games, kurling, golf, boccia and short walks
into their programme.

32. Perth Collage UHI and Care
Home Project
http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/pfa/health-professionals/strength-
and-balance.html
Would like them to come
frequently, I enjoyed their
company. Care Home
Resident
Was one of the best experiences, I
would recommend anyone to do it.
The difference that can be made in
such small amount of time is
extremely rewarding. Student
They met young
people which
they love and
they all
appeared more
lively after the
sessions. Care
Home Staff

33. Ageing Well
Midlothian
• Ageing Well programme to include more frail elderly adults
working in partnership with Transform to promote physical
activity in sheltered housing. Focusing on inter-generational
volunteering to promote physical activity, build connections,
relationships and community.
• Transform supports young people aged 14-25 to volunteer.
Supported by a Project Worker and focus on a range of
activities, including walking and strength and balance
activities. Sessions involve 1 hour of physical activity plus ½
hour of refreshments and a chat.
vivian.wallace@midlothian.gov.uk
http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/ageing-well

34. Organisation for Nepalese
Culture and Welfare
• Weekly walks in central
Aberdeen.
• Increased well-being of
participants especially children
and older adults
• Increased socialisation between children and older
participants
• Increased social links between generations reported

35. Organisation for Nepalese
Culture and Welfare
Case study Video available
http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/pfa/ne
ws/health-walk-project-pilots-text-
messages-to-walkers.html
• Families socialise after the walks, playing together and chatting
• Every week, one household bring refreshments (tea, juice,
healthy snacks)
• Using text message service and social media to communicate
and create an online community

36. Health All Round
• Project being developed in South
West Edinburgh
• Planning to involve senior pupils from
a local school and sheltered housing
residents
• PFA’s Strength & Balance training delivered along with a
modified Volunteer Walk Leader course suitable for high
school students

37. Fraserburgh Walking Club
• With over 500 members on Facebook and
approximately 140 attending evening walk
• Inclusive and intergenerational - Single mums, children,
people with disabilities and also the local Polish
community who work in the factory
• Refreshments and social at the end of the walk. Three
different walks are available. If a person does not turn up
for a few weeks The coordinator sends them a postcard
and invites them to join again.
• Social and community links have been strengthened.

38. Buggy Walks
• 4 Walks in Falkirk and 180 mums and
babies attending every month
• Started by a local Health visitor and 4 years later the Mums
are still friends
• Mental health and support
network improvements, social
interaction for babies
http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/pfa/health-walks/buggy- walks.html

39. Big Fit Walk 2016
http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/bigfitwalk2016
• Community led walk
• Open to all (community
groups, workplaces, schools,
walking groups)
• 30 minute volunteer led walk during June
• Support available (promotional materials,
guidance documents)

40. Walking Football
.
http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/pfa/projects/walking-football.html
• Football but with no running!
• Good opportunities for intergenerational projects
• Effective in engaging older men in physical activity
and increasing mental and social health
• Network partners Paths for All, Age Scotland, SAMH,
SFA, SPFL Trust

41. Dementia Friendly Walking
Project

42. • 3 year project funded by the Life Changes Trust.
To make the Walking for Health networking in
Scotland more accessible to people living with
Dementia and their carers
• The Life Changes Trust is an independent charity,
established in April 2013 with a £50 million endowment from the
Big Lottery Fund.

43. Dementia Friendly Walking
Accreditation
A way of recognising the work projects do to make their
health walks accessible to people living with Dementia
Some Practical Considerations to be made:
o Consultation within Local Area
o Training for Walk Leader Volunteers
o Name Badges
o Reminder Cards
o Walking Route / Amenities
o Risk Assessment
o Local Links
o Dementia Friendly Resources

44. Opportunities for
Intergenerational Working
• Creating links with local projects
• Reminiscing walks
• Young volunteer walk leaders supporting
walks
• Signposting

45. Seated exercises
Ankle movements
Seated side steps

46.  Strengthening exercises

47. Using Walking as an
intergenerational tool.
Discussion groups
• What opportunities do you have locally?
• How could you find out?
• What resources and support do you need?
• Who could you work with?
• What might be a barrier?
• Any questions?

48. Thank you!
Frances Bain
frances.bain@pathsforall.org.uk
Hazel Robinson
Hazel.Robinson@pathsforall
www.pathsforall.org.uk
@pathsforall