By Andrew Murray

Walking can save your life. Research from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has reinforced this message with its findings that just 20 minutes of walking a day can reduce the risk of heart failure by almost one fifth. Walking is a great and simple form of exercise but, as a nation, we’re not doing it as much as we should be.

Why aren’t we making more use of one of the greatest gifts given to humankind? It’s a reflection of our all too busy lives. We’re just too busy to walk to the shops or there’s not enough time in the day to walk the kids to school. What if we all made an effort to leave the car more often and walk those shorter journeys?

We would all be fitter, happier and healthier. We would also make our country a better place to be as, mile for mile, short car journeys produce almost double the carbon dioxide.

It’s a bit of a wake-up call, really. That’s why the Scottish Government is calling on everyone who can to leave the car and get their walking shoes on with its WalkTaeWork campaign. To spark the nation’s interest, an online competition has been hunting for the best, brightest or strangest #WalkTaeWork picture. It seeks to engage and remind people that walking is healthy, free and that it can be easy to fit in to your day. The social media activity is also demonstrating how enjoyable and beautiful a walk to work can be – rain or shine.

There have been spositive figures of late, with research from Glasgow Centre for Population Health finding that walking and cycling in the city account for around one quarter of all journeys. More collective action is needed, however.

The NHS advises at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week to stay healthy. For adults who want to lose weight, but not change their diet, 45 to 60 minutes of exercise a day is recommended to help prevent obesity.

So, while we all probably understand that walking can be a great help for our health and wellbeing, we’re being lazy about it. All it takes is a change of habit. It can start with a stroll to the shops or a wander to school, which can lead to you leaving the car more often. It’s simple but can have a huge impact on improving everyday health and long-term wellbeing.

Let’s not ignore the fact that walking has also been found to play an important role in reducing the risks of developing heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer and help beat depression and dementia.

Ongoing studies from Health Scotland have also found that physical activity can reduce general rates of dying early by 30 per cent while it can reduce risks of diabetes by 40 per cent and breast cancer by 20 per cent.

In addition, moderate exercise is known to be an effective antidepressant and has been proven to enhance psychological wellbeing, self-perception, self-esteem and sleep quality. With the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) recognising that one in four people in Scotland will experience a mental health problem in any one year, the figures add up for themselves. If walking can help combat this by relieving stress, boosting your mood and clearing you head, why not partake?

These impacts offer an insight into the significant health benefits, but what is crucial and what this Scottish Government campaign promotes is that walking shouldn’t be an onerous task. A short walk should, and can, be easy to fit in to your day.

So, perhaps it’s time we all tried leaving the car more often to get some fresh air, improve the nation’s health and take down our stress levels. It will also allow us to explore our beautiful country. Recently voted as the world’s most cinematic destination in the world, for its picturesque landscapes, beautiful beaches and famous historical landmarks, there’s no end to the reasons that we all need to be out on foot taking more of Scotland in.

Dr Andrew Murray is a GP, sports and exercise doctor with the University of Edinburgh and president of Ramblers Scotland.

#walktaework