This Family Fun 5k Event was a celebration of the completion of a longer 'Walk into Better Health' course funded by Somerset Skills and Learning.
As opposed to usual 5k challenges, the goal was not to win or see who was the fastest but to celebrate people of all ages and capabilities achieving their own personal achievements. During the course people set SMART targets and this was completey individual to them. Many people set goals that are unsustainable and unrealistic our mission was for individuals to make lifestyle choices which would result in better physical and mental health.
It was really inspiring to see so many different people achieving their personal best and this varied greatly from person to person. Over 100 people participated in the challenge and in some instances we had families with 3 generations walking together!
Leading up to the 5k Event, participants would meet up every week to walk together. This kept up the momentum and meant people felt like a team - there was a real sense of community and people working together to be healthier and happier. The rest of the week people would complete their own walking goals and one learner said "Some days I really couldn't be bothered to walk but I didn't want to fall behind or let the others down. This helped me stay motivated to walk everyday"
During the lead up to the 5k we also talked about the benefits to being active and the UK government guidelines to physical activity. The NHS is really enthusiastic to the benefits of walking and say "walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier. You do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise."
After the event, we had a special celebration session back at The Canalside, Bridgwater and presented a few awards to individuals we felt deserved an extra bit of praise! We also had a healthy lunch of homemade soup and rolls.
A great day was had by all!
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