1. Walk Leader Refresher Workshop (4 hours)
Updated Sept 2017

2. Welcome and housekeeping

3. Aim of today’s workshop
Time for experienced Walk Leaders to refresh their skills, revisit core messages, and have a chance to network with other Walk Leaders.

4. Sum up and local updates Health Walk “health check”
Welcome
& walking update
Sum up and local updates
Health Walk “health check”
Walk Leader
Refresher
Roles of Walk Leaders
Physical Activity Guidelines
Write an action plan for
your walking project
Pace and route update

5. Ground rules for workshop
Let’s agree a list of how we are going to work today

9. Walking for Health in Scotland
Numbers
Over 100 Health Walk projects
500 weekly walks
4,500 new walkers during
Volunteers
Since 2002
Nearly 10,000 volunteers trained
Over 800 Walk Leader courses
Walks
63% of the population live within 2km of a Health Walk
84% within 5km
Value
For every £1 invested in Health Walks £8 of benefits are generated for society

10. Risks of inactivity
Inactivity results in 2500 premature deaths a year in Scotland (7 a day)
Inactivity costs the NHS £94 million annually
Inactivity is the second biggest cause of mortality (joint with smoking, after high blood pressure)

11. Let’s remind ourselves of why walking is so good…
30 minutes of brisk walking on 5 days of the week:
Heart attack and stroke % reduction
Diabetes % reduction
Hip fractures % reduction
Bowel Cancer 30% reduction
Breast Cancer 20% reduction
Depression/Dementia 30% reduction
Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2011 “Transforming Scotland’s Health” NHS Scotland

12. Let’s remind ourselves of why walking is so good…
Fun
Free
Good for your mood
Connects people
Improves health
“Reduces the risk of
40 common conditions
regular walking can Add 7 years to your life!”
Doc Andrew Murray, Royal College of General Practitioners, Glasgow

13. Health Walk “health check”
Section 1
Health Walk “health check”

14. Refresher Activity 1:
Are the walks offered by your project still “Health Walks” or have they become something else?

15. Into 4 groups. Do this exercise standing up to avoid sitting too long!
Use the words in the envelope to make up a sentence that sums up the key aspects of a Health Walk.

16. What a Health Walk IS
A short, safe, social, local, low level walk, often led by volunteers - FREE
10 mins progressing up to one hour maximum
Target group is inactive people, suitable for people with no experience of walking
Pace to suit individual, pace can be adapted to suit the group, so the walks suit all abilities

17. What a Health Walk is NOT
You need boots, waterproofs, poles and compass
Hilly
Great for experienced hill walkers
Competitive
Scaling mountain tops
Risky

18. Group discussion and action plan
Do you need to make any changes to your Health Walks to make them suitable for inactive people?
Fill in your action Plan

19. Physical Activity Guidelines
Section 2
Physical Activity Guidelines

20. Start Active, Stay Active
Guidelines for physical
Activity for:
Early years
Children
Young people
Adults
Older Adults Ac

21. Refresher Activity 2:
Let’s find out the Physical Activity guidelines for all the different age groups

22. Guidelines for different ages
Group 1 – early years /under 5’s (factsheet and 2)
Group 2 – children/young people (factsheet 3)
Group 3 – adults (factsheet 4)
Group 4 – older adults 65+ (factsheet 5)

23. Find the answers How active does your age group need to be?
How often should they be active?
How should they feel when being active?
Any special recommendations for the age group?

24. Early Years – at least 3 hours a day
Children and Young People – at least 1 hour a day
Adults – at least 150 minutes over the week
Older adults – same as above plus strength and balance exercise

25. Average ages of walkers in Scotland’s community walking groups
16-24 years %
25-34 years 9%
35-44 years 11%
45-54 years 14%
55-64 years 25%
65-74 years 28%
75+years %
Figures from Paths for All Walkers Database
64% are 55 years+

26. Adults and Older adults
Adults 19-64, should do activities to improve muscle strength on at least 2 days a week
Adults 65+ at risk of falls should incorporate activities to improve balance and coordination on at least 2 days of the week
Walk your way to better strength and balance – Paths for All resources

27. Leaflet and cue cards

28. Strengthening exercises28

29. Balance exercises 29

30. Group Discussion Fill in your action Plan
Walking is a great way to improve the health of inactive people of any age group.
Walking plus strength and balance is a great intervention for older walkers
Are there any actions for your project at this point?
Fill in your action Plan

31. Comfort Break

32. Section 3
Pace/routes
update

33. Pace Update

34. Brisk Walking – quick quiz!
4 ways to describe brisk walking:
You should….
Breathe a little faster
Feel a little warmer
Feel your heart beating a little faster
Be able to talk (not sing)

35. Brisk Pace – different for everyone
The amount of activity that a person needs to do to achieve moderate intensity varies depending on age, fitness and health conditions.

36. Pace – getting it right. Walk Leader Manual pages 20-22 and cue cards
It is important that Walk Leaders get the right balance between upping the pace and making people feel comfortable and able to return next time.

37. How to assess pace Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE) Talk Test
Simple Observation (check for being out of breath, sweaty, flushed, and slow down if you see this)

38. How to manage pace Pace games (see the manual)
Walks of varying lengths to suit different abilities and conditions
The back marker is the best person to manage pace….

39. Pace and different abilities
Health Walks are aimed at inactive people. However walkers who are on your walks soon become more active and more fit.
How can we manage the walks, so that there is a suitable walk for everyone?

40. Walkers at risk of falls?
Brisk walking may increase risk of falls in those who are frail, who do not walk regularly, or who have fallen before
Advice: walk at a steady pace and encourage regular strength and balance exercises.
(Campbell 97; Robertson 2001; Campbell 2005; Sherrington 2011; Ebrahim 1997

41. Refresher Activity 3 Pace game
Play the pace game using role play cards

42. Refresher Activity 4 Walking routes case studies
In your groups, have a read through the
case studies which outline some ideas for having different lengths of routes to suit inactive and active walkers.

43. Case study feedback
Share what you have learned from the case studies with the larger group

44. Group discussion Fill in your action Plan
Do you need to make any changes to your programme of walks so that there is something to suit all walkers?
Fill in your action Plan

45. Section 4
Roles and
Responsibilities

46. The things that Walk Leaders do
Into 2 teams, 5 minutes to come up with a list of the things you do before, at the start, during and after leading Health Walks…..
Go!
5 minutes to combine both lists

47. Your list might include:
Welcome recce/risk assessment new walker forms walk register Health Walk
Agreement group introductions route
Explanation manage the pace keep an eye on all walkers manage any incidents
Organise the social time remind walkers to walk in the week enjoy yourself…

48. “Tools” and support for Walk Leaders
Walk Leader Manual
Cue Cards
Paperwork – New Walker Form
Health Walk Agreement
Other Walk Leaders
Your Coordinator

49. Further training opportunities
Safety Outdoors course
Inclusion course – including those with disabilities in Health Walks and other outdoor activities
Strength and Balance for community walking groups

50. Safety reminder
It is important that walkers have a good explanation of the route and any hazards on the route.
Ensure all routes risk assessed
Please use the cue cards and Health Walk Agreement – every time

51. Group discussion – roles and responsibilities
Are you all doing the right things before, during and after the walks?
Fill in your action plan

52. Sum up and local updates Health Walk “health check”
Welcome
& walking update
Sum up and local updates
Health Walk “health check”
Walk Leader
Refresher
Roles of Walk Leaders
Physical Activity Guidelines
Write an action plan for
your walking project
Pace and route update

53. Time to sum up your action plans
Take 10 minutes to go through the action plans and find some actions to take forward
Agree who will do these
Time for you to discuss your local project and any updates that you need to talk about
Time to go out for a practice walk to try out the pace games etc

54. Look out for your thank you gift!
Thank you for attending the Walk Leader Refresher Workshop and for being a Walk Leader
Look out for your thank you gift!