A 15 minute walk, or a daily mile, is all that it takes to improve your health and well being. You don’t have to  jog, swim, or run a marathon although all those things are good too but they are not for everyone. What we all can do is walk a mile a day.

Scotland is aiming to become the world’s first Daily Mile nation.

Aileen Campbell, Public Health Minister in the Scottish Government said:

“By walking just one mile a day, people can make huge changes to their lives. Something as simple as a 15 minute walk each day and being more active generally can improve mental and physical health. It is cost-effective and demonstrates that prevention really is better than cure. The health risks are stark: seven Scots die every day due to inactivity, often long before they have to. That is seven too many.”

Proportion of adults overweight or obese, 1995-2016

In 2016, 65% of adults aged 16 and over were overweight, including 29% who were obese. Levels of overweight and obesity increased between 1995 and 2008, but have remained relatively stable since then.

The 15 minute walk, a mile a day, is achievable, costs nothing except your time and you might even enjoy it.

The Orkney News has a lot of excellent walks you can do locally in our archives when you want to do something a wee bit longer. Just use our search facility on the website.