KEEP Active, KEEP Motivated, KEEP Going!
Our very own Jo Bryant and walking supremo shares her first in a series of blogs on walking.
May is National Walking month so what better time to kick off my walking blog.
The last year has shown us even more, the importance of looking after both our physical and mental well-being.
All of us have had our lives touched by COVID in one way or another and for some the struggle continues to get out and motivated again.
The influences of being out in nature have been proven time and time again and meeting others on walks gives us the opportunity to reconnect in a safe friendly environment.
Here at Community360 we have worked hard to keep our FINDING YOUR FEET walks running throughout a really difficult time, supporting people to keep active and socially connected at a time when many have been unable to see family and loved ones.
We have trained volunteers to become Walk Motivators who support and encourage people to keep active and talk about how COVID has impacted their lives.
It has created the space and opportunity to feel part of a group who really care and support each other. For some it has been a lifeline
Come rain or shine and changes in restrictions, we have kept these going where possible and when we realized that some still felt unsure to come out in groups, we offered an online walking group which continues to be available.
Time and time again Community360, with our amazing group of volunteers have supported people in Colchester and Braintree to keep going despite it all.
In the words of a Walk Motivator…
“I love the premise behind the community walks. I love that there is no pressure to achieve a certain distance or walk at a certain pace. They are just simply a chance to walk and talk to anyone and everyone. They give people an opportunity to get out and about in their local area with someone new. I find that we chat about so many different topics and each week is different. I honestly believe that for people with difficult home lives they offer an escape and a chance to talk to someone new either about their problems or to not even discuss those problems at all. Talking to someone who is not personally involved in a situation is maybe easier than talking to family and walking and talking at the same time takes the pressure off an intense conversation which might otherwise feel extremely hard to start. It’s like a free therapy session with some exercise and fresh air included!”
Each walk is quite different, both in the scenery and the people involved and I will be back again next month to tell you more about each walk. I am delighted that the number of walkers is increasing as people gain confidence to ‘get back out there’ Walking costs nothing but is priceless and of incredible value to all who take part.
What more is there to say except
“KEEP WALKING, KEEP TALKING. WE’VE GOT THIS!”
See you next time! Jo
Find out more about Jo’s Walks here: https://www.community360.org.uk/what-we-do/finding-your-feet/
