The GM Daily Mile Toolkit: Individuals, Family & Friends

1. Starting Out

Are you curious about walking and maybe considering adding a regular walk into your life? OR are you wondering how to get started and achieve a GM Daily Mile that fits into your life? Walking is a straight forward, accessible activity that you can do to help your physical and emotional health.

You simply need;

• Something comfortable to walk in and suitable for the weather & temperature.  You DON’T need special clothing, footwear, equipment or money. Walking is free!
• A small amount of time to walk. 5, 10, 20 minutes or more. Remember a 20 minute walk is about a mile. Start small and build up. You can do this!
• To consider where you might walk. From your own doorstep or further afield. Whatever works best for you.
• To think about places locally you would like to see on your walk. Consider routes that join 2 landmarks i.e. the park to the café or the doctors to the library.
• To make a decision to walk & plan to build it into your routine.
• To be kind to yourself. If you don’t walk when planned, don’t worry just try again another time.

2. Breaking Down Barriers

The thought of walking a mile can be overwhelming, remember a mile only takes about 20 minutes. A mile is approximately 2000 steps.

• Sometimes it’s hard to imagine fitting it into your day, but with a little planning and knowing the benefits, you will find to easier to find the time.
• Some find the thought of walking dull, but you can walk with friends, family, with children and the dog too.
• It can be very sociable and walking lets you see & discover things you may never have noticed before.
• Feeling you won’t have the right ‘kit’ isn’t a problem either, as you don’t need anything special to wear, just comfortable footwear and clothing.
• Some feel a sense of guilt doing something for themselves. Walking is so good for you , that you will be healthier, happier and have more energy for everyone else as a result.

3. Walking with Others

Spending time with friends, family or neighbours of all ages boosts your health & wellbeing. Does walking with others sound enjoyable? If so, consider inviting others to join you. You can walk with pushchairs, wheelchairs and dogs too. Ask your friends, family, neighbours or work colleagues.

Download a GM Daily Mile Invitation and invite them to enjoy a GM Daily Mile with you.

When walking with others, it is also worth considering;

• Is the route suitable for use with a pram/buggy or a wheelchair?
• Are the paths/pavements wide enough for walking side by side, with children, elderly relatives or people requiring additional support?
• Is the ground suitable for all? Think about steps, steepness and busy roads.
• Consider the lighting, the possible noise and how busy it might be where you are planning to walk. Will this be suitable for those walking?
• If walking with dogs, check they are allowed.
• How well-lit is the walk at dusk or when dark? Enjoying your walk and not being anxious is important, whether alone or with others.
• Set up a group Whatsapp to make plans, remind each other and celebrate involvement.
• Share motivational tips or try fun challenges with your walking friends and family
• See GM Daily Mile Staying Motivated
• Include activities for others as they walk. Help them learn, laugh and love their walks too.

Download the activity sheets:

• GM Daily Mile ‘I can see it’ Bingo (Simple things to spot along the way)
• GM Daily Mile Nature Bingo (12 nature based sights and objects to find on your walk)
• GM Daily Mile ‘I Spy’, ‘Shape Detectives’ and ‘Colour Detectives’
• GM Daily Mile Walking Sensory Search (Using your senses to discover new things)
• GM Daily Mile Walking Scavenger Hunt (Natural objects to gather along the way)
• GM Daily Mile Wildlife and Nature apps ( Downloadable apps to help identify trees, birds and more on your walk)
• GM Daily Mile blank activity sheet (To create your own bingo, sensory search or scavenger hunt activities)

4. Boosting Health & Wellbeing

Walking a GM Daily Mile will support your wellbeing, including your physical, emotional & mental health. Walking supports each of the Five Ways to Wellbeing, developed by the New Economics Foundation (2008) and used by many local, regional and nationals community & health organisations across the UK.

The five evidenced based actions are designed to improve personal wellbeing, these are;

• Connect- building connections with others can support and enrich you every day.
• Keep Learning- learning something or visiting somewhere new can increase your confidence and your self-esteem. 
• Be Active- moving  helps to release feel good hormones which support your overall wellbeing.
• Give-giving time or words to others is proven to support wellbeing.  
• Take Notice- enjoying the moment, being aware of the here and now and noticing the world around you can help you appreciate what matters. 

Let’s see how walking can can support each of these.

How a GM Daily Mile supports The Five Ways to Wellbeing

5. Deciding Where & When-Top Tips

Choosing where and when to walk and knowing how far a mile is may be tricky.

Check out our Top Tips;

• How about starting a walk from your doorstep? This can save time and the familiarity can reduce anxiety.
• Maybe add a walk onto the school drop off or walk to the shops instead of driving. Finding a time and place that fits your routine will help.
• Consider a walk further afield, take public transport or drive to a different place. Look for free carparks.
• Remember some walks may be ‘there and back’ others may be ‘circular’. Work out which is best for you.
• Think about taking a different route to the shops/doctors/friends. This could increase the distance walked and help to discover new sights while fitting into your day’s plans.
• Make a flask of coffee to drink along the way or swap a drink-in coffee at a café for a takeaway coffee and walk instead. A mile walk will take less time than an average takeaway coffee does to drink.
• Take turns with friends and family to choose a walk. This will provide variety and won’t all be left to you.

There are many free Apps and websites to help you  Working Out a Mile  or help you to Planning a Walking Route  if you are looking for support or inspiration. These downloads include the direct links you will need.  The Go Jauntly app has some walks specific to Greater Manchester- check it out here.

6. Staying Motivated

Once you have decided to try a GM Daily Mile, getting started and staying motivated can sometimes be tough. The 6 Steps to Staying Motivated are;

• Finding inspiration & setting bite sized goals
• Rewarding progress
• Making it fun & mixing it up a bit
• Walking with others
• Tracking progress is a great motivator.  Choose what you want to track and print a GM Daily Mile Minute Tracker or a  GM Daily Mile Step Trackers to record progress on. Display at  work or at home as an additional motivator.
• A GM Daily Mile Walk Diary is a great way to monitor progress made and provides a space to record how walking makes us feel too.

For more details of the above 6 steps take a look at the GM Walking  Staying Motivated Guide HERE

7. Celebrating Progress & Success

Remember to celebrate your progress & successes.

Reward yourself when you reach your goals. Phone a friend for a chat, buy a magazine to read, sit and enjoy the surroundings, indoors or out. Small gifts of time to yourself can be very fulfilling.

Remember to celebrate the achievement of goals or targets if you have walked as part of a group.