We’ve all been asked to stay home as we work together to “flatten the curve” of the COVD-19 pandemic but its important to still find a safe way to exercise each day.
Only essential movement is permitted under current government regulations in the bid to stop the spread of COVID-19 and daily exercise is deemed essential. Many physical and mental health issues can be caused, or made worse, by lack of movement.
Walking is a good workout and you may find that your local council has provided excellent walking trails, where you won’t encounter much foot traffic, such as this one in Strathfield Park NSW (above).
Remember that right now the regulations are that no more than 2 people can gather together in public and you still need to a 1.5m distance between you. Be sure to check the official website www.health.gov.au, for the most up-to-date restrictions before leaving home.
Why not challenge yourself to walk 10,000 steps per day! Since 2001, the 10,000 Steps team at Central Queensland University have inspired 431,130* Australians to take 224,801,882,709 steps in the right direction. In Queensland alone, this has contributed to increasing physical activity levels by 15% over the past ten years!
Some readers might belong to walking groups run by their local Flourish Australia service. That’s great, but while it’s not possible to walk with a group, it’s a good idea to still walk EVERY DAY by yourself. See if you can work your way up to 10,000 steps or more. Your neighbourhood is waiting to be explored!
Even while everything else is closed, you still have the great outdoors.
Some local councils have established excellent gardens with nature walking trails. I can think of two within 10 minutes of my place. Check your local council web site for the best walking trails near you.
How far is 10,000 steps?
According to CQU, every minute walking adds 100 steps to your day and every 10 minutes increases that to 1,000. You can measure your progress accurately with a podometer; a clever device like a wristwatch which can measure the exact number of steps you take.
You can order these online and even hook them up to your home computer to have the results analysed… phew!
*figures quoted are correct at the time of publication
By Warren Heggarty, Panorama Magazine
