Hospital taking a step forward with new walking initiative

Three walking routes, titled ‘Take Ten’, have been set up to give all staff the opportunity to become more physically active whilst enjoying some of the scenery surrounding the hospital. They’re also open to visitors and patients. 

The ‘Take Ten’ routes are approximately one kilometre in length and take around ten minutes to complete – burning up to 50 calories in the process. 

Taking in views of the gardens of the hospital, all routes follow clearly marked paths. Benches are also positioned along the route allowing the opportunity to rest at regular intervals. 

The walking routes are the latest in the hospital's commitment to encourage staff to lead healthy working lives, alongside other initiatives, such as its cycle to work schemes which are available for all its employees.

The campaign coincides with Men’s Health Week (13-19^th June), a national campaign that promotes men’s health.

The theme of Men's Health Week 2016 is beating stress, with walking and exercise being highlighted as major factors in releasing stress before it turns into something more serious.

Regular walking has also been shown to reduce the risk of some chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

The hospital hopes that launching the campaign in-line with Men’s Health Week will help to raise awareness of the importance of men’s health in the work place.  

James Rimmer, Chief Executive at Weston Area Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said:

“Working in a busy hospital can be very stressful, yet studies show that walking has a positive impact on overall health and wellbeing.  We hope that our short walking routes will provide a really convenient stress busting outlet for all our hard working NHS staff”.

The Take Ten initiative is one of hundreds taking place throughout the country during Men's Health Week.

The Public Health team at North Somerset Council have organised a week’s worth of events to tie into this national Men’s Health Forum campaign.

A Men’s Health Week stand will be available to the public in Weston General Hospital’s main foyer, on Thursday, 16^th June, between 11am-3pm, where people can come along and gather information and advice on improving men’s health and wellbeing.