Help's at Hand

The Healthiest Town project is working to help all of our community to be as healthy as we can be. For many of us, being healthy may feel a long way away, but we can all help ourselves be the best we can be by eating real food, moving every day, being connected to other people and finding balance in our lives.

Being active is sometimes hard, but the benefits are massive both for our physical and mental health. This is particularly true if you are older, or have a long-term health condition. Being active can mean many things but we are more likely to stick with activities we enjoy and can fit into our daily routine. The Healthiest Town project aims to inspire, empower and support people to become more active by finding ways to move that works for them, whatever your age or stage in life.

Walking is a great way to be active – you can do it literally from your door step, it’s free, often fun and good for us. The easiest way to walk more is to make walking a habit. Think of how you could include more walking in your daily routine, for example:

· Walking the kids to school

· Walking to the shops

· Doing a regular walk with a friend

· Walking during your lunch break

· Going for a stroll with family or friends after dinner

If you would like to walk with others in a group, there are several local groups and you can find out more at: www.liveactive.co.uk/Wellbeing/stride-for-life www.exploreconnectenjoy.co.uk/all-in-upper-tay www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/ramblers-groups/strathtay-group www.facebook.com/lochtayhikers/

We hope to create more walking groups to meet everyone’s needs. If you would like to create a group or volunteer to lead a group, get in touch to discuss what training we can offer.

We now have a Physical Activity Link Worker, based in Aberfeldy Health Centre, to help you to get more active if you are finding it hard. She will meet with you, work with you on a plan, and support you to get more active. She will understand when things don’t go to plan, and work out a different way forward if needed. If you would like to find out more go to our website www.healthiesttown.org or to make an appointment email active@healthisttown.org or phone 07871 824 598. We will have a stall at the Aberfeldy Farmers market on Sunday 6th August – come and see us and learn more about how to be active!