Doctors should prescribe walking to improve mental health, says new report

By GreaterSport | 11 March 2020 | TAGS: GM Walking, Walking, Inequalities, Research and learning

More GPs should prescribe walking to improve mental health and long-term physical health conditions, says a new report published today (Friday 6 March) by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.  

‘Is Walking a Miracle Cure?’ focuses on the health benefits of walking and argues that towns and cities designed for walking will significantly improve physical health and mental wellbeing.  

The report makes recommendations under ten headings, including an increase in ‘social prescribing’ with an emphasis on walks in parks and green spaces because of growing evidence of the benefits of walking in nature to mental health outcomes; and promoting walking for disabled people or those with long-term health conditions as part of health checks.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: "The negative impact of our car-centric lifestyles can be seen all around us, with physical activity levels on the decline and poor health conditions related to air pollution on the rise. We can start to turn this around with streets that are better for walking and cycling.

"The time to act is now, and Greater Manchester is drawing up a blueprint for the whole country to follow.

"Working together with our Cycling and Walking Commissioner Chris Boardman, we’ve set out our vision for the Bee Network – 1,800 miles of protected space for cycling and walking that will help people make 2.5 million journeys by foot and by bike every day, cutting travel times and improving health and wellbeing."

Read more of the recommendations, including the full report on Living Streets' website here.

Read more about the work happening across Greater Manchester to get more people walking on Greater Manchester Walking's website here.