Walk for Heart - Heart Week 2009
Date: 10th September, 2009
Irish Heart Week is encouraging you to be more active and to enjoy the many health benefits of regular activity, such as improved wellbeing, reduced stress, staying a healthy weight as well as reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke.
For a healthy heart you need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on 5 days a week. Moderate activity causes an increase in your breathing and heart rate, similar to a brisk walk. Walking is a great way to get active; it's free, suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels and can be done almost anywhere! The risk of injury is low as walking doesn't put pressure on your joints.
The Walk or Step Challenge
The Walk or Step Challenge will make you aware of how much activity you do and the amount you need to do to enjoy the positive benefits for your health and well-being. You can do the Walk or Step Challenge on your own, with family or friends or through your workplace.
The Walk Challenge
If you do the Walk Challenge your target is to build up to at least 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week at a moderate intensity and you can record your minutes of walking in the diary card provided.
The Step Challenge
If you choose the Step Challenge your goal is to build up to 10,000 steps per day using a pedometer. You should aim to build up to at least 10,000 steps a day and for most people this would include 30 minutes of walking on top of their routine activity. Most people who are inactive take only between 3,000 and 5,000 steps per day. Record your minutes of stepping in the diary card provided.