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BACPR 'World Walking'
BACPR ‘Walk the World’ for heart
health Heart & Sole Walk 2015 BACPR Members, their Cardiac Rehabilitation Groups and BACPR
Council have just completed a ‘walk around the world’, thanks to World Walking,
a unique free website created by a group of ordinary people living with heart
conditions simply to motivate people to walk more. In February, the ‘Heart & Sole Walk 2015’ was
launched with the aim of virtually walking round the world to promote the
benefits of cardiac rehabilitation. The challenge, which was supported by the
Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, was organised by: ·
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland; ·
The British Association for Cardiac Prevention
& Rehabilitation; ·
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Interest Group for
Scotland; and ·
The Inverclyde Globetrotters, the heart health
group from Greenock which created World Walking. Over 100 individuals and heart health groups took
part to complete the 34,000 mile challenge; one of the longest heart health
walk ever undertaken and the first online to circumnavigate the globe involving
people on different continents. Louise Jopling,
Honorary Secretary of the British Association for Cardiac Prevention and
Rehabilitation said: “BACPR promotes excellence in cardiovascular disease
prevention and rehabilitation and we are delighted to congratulate
the individuals, groups and organisations who came together from across
the globe to 'walk the world'. As
well as Cardiac Rehabilitation Groups, many of our members and Council
took part and benefited ourselves from some motivation to
keep active! BACPR is proud to support the Heart & Sole Challenge
and worldwalking.org in providing
an innovative, fun and engaging way to promote physical activity.” Cardiac rehabilitation and heart health groups and services
from across the UK took part ranging from the Highland Heartbeat Centre in
Inverness to the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust. The Mid Essex cardiac rehabilitation team
have had so much fun taking part in the Heart & Sole Walk that they now
plan to walk another lap of the world…in the opposite direction! Amongst the other most active walkers were a group of 144
prisoners at Wakefield Prison who clocked up over 3,100 miles. The Prison’s Physical Education Officer, Neil
Evans said “Over a quarter of this
cohort suffer with cardiac related issues. This challenge was a fantastic
initiative to raise awareness across the establishment and provide this
sedentary population with an opportunity to commence participation in physical
activity at the appropriate level. The success of this project has increased
participation levels across the establishment and proposed ideas for future
projects to improve the health & Well-being of cardiac patients at this
prison.” This unique event also brought together groups from as far
afield as Canada and Australia. The Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada celebrates its 50th
Anniversary this year. To mark that
important milestone a special walk across Canada was created on World Walking, which the 6,000 members of the Foundation’s 30 Walk for Life
groups across Canada could tackle together as part of their anniversary
celebrations. The walk across Canada was based on the route taken by a young
man named Alex Horton who had cycled 5,000 miles across Canada in 2011 “to give back to an organisation that had
done so much for him in his life and to show that issues with cardiac health
don't have to mean the end of active lifestyle and following your ambitions”. The Foundation’s Executive Director, Barbara Kennedy, said “We have walked across
Canada with our Toronto Walk of Life event alone and all our 30 Walk of Life
groups across Canada will also be taking part. Congratulations to all for this international
collaboration of advocacy of cardiac health, rehabilitation and wellness!” On the other side of the world, a group of ‘Heartmoves’
clients in the small town of Quirindi in rural New South Wales, Australia led
by Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist, Robyn Lees, have been so inspired
by the event that they have decided to walk half was round the world to meet
the Inverclyde Globetrotters, the heart health group in Greenock who created
World Walking, starting on June 11th to coincide with the
National Heart Foundation of Australia’s “Go Red For Women” campaign. The Walk’s Patron, Louise Martin CBE, Chair of Sportscotland
said: “I am delighted to see so many people taking part in the
Heart and Sole Walk 2015. Remaining physically active after a heart related
issue can be vital and I am proud that this event has helped to spread this
message far and wide. Making physical activity a part of your daily life is so
important to overall wellbeing and this virtual walk around the world will benefit
those who have taken part as well as those who have been inspired by the
event.” Duncan Galbraith Inverclyde Globetrotters Notes on worldwalking.org
The World Walking website has over 5,000 users from across
the world: www.worldwalking.org It is free
to join, run on a voluntary basis and also uses Apps available for i-Phone and
Android devices. World Walking has received support from governments, prime
ministers, heroes in the world of sport and numerous individuals and
organisations, also winning awards for its contribution to the health and
wellbeing of ordinary people. The Inverclyde Globetrotters set up worldwalking.org. They are
all volunteers living with heart problems and are based in Greenock, Scotland.
They have been leading innovative walking initiatives since 2008. Now, seven
years later they are still walking and have accumulated over 130,000 miles (300
million steps) on virtual journeys to over 100 countries worldwide; all without
ever having left Greenock.
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