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Walking is not only good for our physical wellbeing but it is also great for our mental and social wellbeing to ensure that no life is half lived in Scotland. We are delighted to be a part of Paths for All’s Scottish Health Walk Network and play our part in making walking an accessible option across CHSS and across Scotland.”
Jane Claire Judson, Chief Executive, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
From boosting your mood to helping improve your health, here are just a few of the reasons we love walking:
Taking a break, getting outside and connecting with nature can do wonders for your mental health, and regular walks are a simple way to help you look after your physical health too.
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Through our Health Walks, our vision is to support people to lead healthier lives via the delivery of friendly, accessible walks led by experienced walk leaders.
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CHSS can offer Local Walking for Health Groups, Group Walks with CHSS Peer Groups and 1 to 1 Buddy Walks with our Community Healthcare Support Services Team.
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As a long-time volunteer with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Doalty Sweeney knows how vital the support groups are to service users.
So, on the first outing of the newly formed Glasgow Southside Walking Group, Doalty was concerned when one participant had to give up within a few hundred yards of the walk starting. He need not have worried. Just a few short weeks on, the participant is not only completing every walk – sometimes up to 90 minutes with the rest of the group – but also encouraging them up a hill, too!
We already see how important the group has become to everyone.
Doalty, 70, of Glasgow, says: “Her experience shows the spirit and determination in the group. Everyone is so keen to get out into the fresh air and enjoy the conversation and the banter.
“We already see how important the group has become to everyone. I give the credit to Elaine Fisher, who is the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland co-ordinator. She is tremendous and her energy and commitment to the job drives us all on.
“On that first day, Elaine hung back and did a short one-to-one walk with the lady who was struggling. That meant so much to her that she was determined to come back and complete the walk with everyone. Now she’s pulling the group up a hill that isn’t even on our route!”
The Glasgow Southside Walking Group is one of a number of groups organised by CHSS across Scotland that gives those living with our chest, heart and stroke conditions a safe arena in which to walk with support. Doalty and other volunteers have gone through training with Paths for All, the charity that aims to improve health and wellbeing through daily walking.
It’s such a simple thing to do but so positive and vital for those who struggle physically.
Their first walk was in Glasgow’s Pollok Park, but they have since relocated to Rouken Glen Park. For retired retail manager Doalty, this is the latest step in his long volunteering career with CHSS. He first offered his time 14 years ago and has been involved in a variety of roles, including working on communication with those struggling to speak after stroke.
Doalty says: “I’m a keen walker anyway, but there’s something special about this group. On our first outing, we had 18 people, all keen to get out in the fresh air and have some company. The banter is great. I can see how much people are loving being out and how their faces light up when they see the others arriving. It’s such a simple thing to do but so positive and vital for those who struggle physically.”
Inspired to challenge yourself, why not go the extra mile and tackle one of our upcoming walking events.
You can stay healthy and get your steps in at the same time as raising money to help people across Scotland live their lives to the full.
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We couldn’t do this without our friends at Paths for All and by joining our Health Walks at CHSS, which are one of many hundreds supported by Paths for All across Scotland, you are joining thousands of walkers right across the country!
Paths for All