May is traditionally the month for improving weather, pleasanter temperatures and heading outdoors. May is also National Walking Month and for non-walkers it is the perfect time to get out and start enjoying the British countryside with this free form of exercise and family entertainment.What’s more, this May has seen the launch of new initiative Britain on Foot – a campaign that aims to encourage more Britons to get active outdoors – whether with a simple stroll, gentle jog or a full on mountain climbing challenge.
Britain on Foot is led by the Outdoors Industries Association and looks to support and link up people with the many outdoor groups and activities already under-way across the UK. The Britain on Foot website is host to lots of useful information on different activities to try in the great outdoors, how to get started and plenty of incentives in the form of health benefits to get you motivated. There is helpful section particularly for active families and a calendar of upcoming outdoor events to join in with across the UK. There are also lots of great links to other outdoor organisations available from the Britain on Foot website to provide everything you need to know about your outdoor area of interest.
Key to Britain on Foot’s message is that getting active in anyway you are able to outside is infinitely better than an extra hour on the sofa. This can mean combining outdoor activities – May is great time for a wander in your local woods to spot the beautiful British bluebells displays or to pop a picnic in a rucksack and jump on your bikes to explore Britain’s quiet lanes and bridleways. Whilst we are already fairly active and outdoorsy in the Baby Routes family, I’ll definitely be using the Britain on Foot campaign as an extra motivation to get out every day and hopefully start running regularly again (I’ve been a bit lazy with jogging with all the horrible weather over the winter). This last weekend has also seen all our bikes out in the garden for a bit of TLC and a tweak or two to the baby bike seat, so that we can switch our short journeys for cycles and we also found some great bridleways on our weekend walk which look great for a bit of off-road biking.
Whichever activity you choose, get out and active with the family this May and enjoy the great British outdoors. With so much beautiful countryside to enjoy, hundreds of health benefits and the fact that getting outdoors is a both a fun and frugal way of passing an afternoon or few, what are you waiting for?
For more information, please visit the Britain on Foot website or you can show your support on Facebook or Twitter.
