Consider who you will aim to have as your target group 

·         The young and the fit

·         Older and fit

·         Older, not so fit

·         The disabled

·         Mums with prams

·         A cross section of all ages and abilities

What types of walks would be most suitable?

·        Bush walks

·        Full day, half day, half an hour to one hour

·        Well paved or surfaced walks suitable for unsteady walkers

·        Be locally accessible

·         Little or no cost

·        To suit the needs of a group with a range of physical fitness levels

·        Widest possible appeal to men and women – a cross section of ages and abilities

·        Is the walk suitable for the disabled?

·       Advertise in the local newspapers for an indication of people who are interested in participating in a walking group

·       Letter box drop fliers to residents in the local community, invite them to become   involved as a leader or a walker

·       Put up a notice in your local community health centre, senior citizens club, neighbourhood house, fitness centre, doctor’s surgery, on-line access centre, supermarket or library

Hold a meeting so that interested walkers can meet you and each other

·       Distribute a flier with details of the information session including where it is to be held, when and what time

·       Provide information on the benefits of walking, warm-up and cool-down exercises

·       Consider a guest speaker to speak about the benefits of walking e.g. a local identity who is a role model

·       Potential walkers could fill out a self-assessment of whether the person is a slow or fast walker

·       Suggest a medical check-up if the walker has been inactive for a while

·       A handout can be given on general information, such as what to wear, the need to be aware of the sun and to wear a hat and sunscreen and to promote and encourage self-care

·       Date and time of the walks can be discussed – choose a convenient time to walk.  Try walking at lunchtime, early morning or late evening

·       Proposed format for walks can be outlined

·       Set a date for your first walk

·       Provide your contact details for the group members to contact you in the event of adverse weather conditions

 Give examples of the kinds of walks that are envisaged 

·       Map out a series of walks and grade them using the criteria of length, time and distance, accessibility, difficultly, points of interest, etc

·       Research possible routes in the area by contacting your local council for established walking paths, by using a map and your local knowledge or by referring to published material available for your local council or http://www.getmoving.tas.gov.au

·       Conduct a trail audit of the proposed walks.  Walk to routes yourself to ensure that it will be suitable for the target groups.  Check for busy roads to cross, steep hills, uneven surfaces, etc

·       Time the walks at a moderate pace so that you can give walkers an idea of how long they will take.  Make a map of the route with a short description, e.g. points of view or interest, type of surface, gradient, etc

·       Decide on a convenient and permanent location to start and finish.  Look for a place where parking is easy, shelter and toilets are provided, and close to refreshments if necessary

·       Consider whether to charge a small fee of 50 cents per walk, can help to buy small resources, e.g. a map or hiring of a BBQ site

• Take maps of the walk, mobile phone, water and suitable protection from the weather
  
• Provide name tags/sticky labels for group members to get to know each others names
  
• Encourage walkers to participate in warm-up exercises
  
• Decide on a place to have an end of walk cup of tea/coffee and chat.  Use this time to decide where to walk to next week.
  
• It is likely that group members will walk at different paces, reaching the destination at different times. 
  
• Some walkers walk slower than others, some like to walk quickly and others like to talk to other members of the group.  By allowing time for everyone, including the leader, to meet at the beginning and regroup at the end of each walk, it helps to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to socialise and to strengthen the group.
  
• Count the group members at the beginning of the walk.  If group numbers are large, split the group into equal numbers by category, e.g. faster and slower walkers.  This ensures that there will be a a manageable number of walkers for the group leaders to look after

 Staying Motivated 

·       It is important to try and keep people motivated.  Keep in contact with your members to keep them motivated.  By regularly contacting the members each month you will find out how much they have been walking.  Publication of newsletters on a regular basis or informing them about an upcoming event will help members to be involved in the group

·       Information sessions with a guest speaker can be beneficial for keeping members motivated.  Examples could include the following:

­        - physiotherapist could demonstrate stretching exercises

­        - dietician could advise on healthy eating and food issues

­        - podiatrist could talk about footcare and suitable footwear

·        Encourage group members to undertake first aid or CPR training through Red Cross, St Johns Ambulance or other providers

·       Conduct a walk in the community indoor swimming pool.  By exercising in water less stress is placed on the joints

·       Take the group to the local shopping centre and conduct a shopping tour.  Examine food labels and discuss healthy food alternatives

·       Meet at a dance class and practise the swing or enjoy a latin dance class

·       The walking group may like to develop a walking guide with maps and descriptions of  the tracks that are used

·       Encourage members to host walks in their locality.  This encourages each member to take a leadership role and expands the list of suitable walks.  Document any walks suggested by members so they can be used in the future.  This is also a way that walkers can see that they are making a contribution to the whole group and promotes socialising within the group

·       Ask the members for suggestions for walk-related activities, e.g. a guided tour along the Hobart Rivulet, a one hour walk and picnic at The Nut at Stanley or a short stroll to visit the water hole on the Apsley River just north of Bicheno

·       Encourage walkers to bring a friend or partner with them on some of the walks.  This gives the walker an opportunity to introduce their friends to the group and increase membership.

Recommended Walking Resources

Around the world, many organisations are seeking ways to encourage more people to walk and across Australia, the number of community-based programs promoting walking is increasing.  This growth in recreational walking has encouraged policy makers to initiate projects based around encouraging leisure walking.  Evidence is accumulating that walking programs are an appropriate strategy to increase the prevalence of participation in regular physical activity.

Recommend a walking-related website to us

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