RESEARCH has revealed that walking is the exercise of choice for over half of the Welsh population.
Researchers at HF Holidays, who polled 1,000 people across the UK, found that 52% agreed that walking is their favourite form of exercise, followed in second place by the 8% who preferred cycling.
10% of those who took part in the survey reported that they don’t exercise at all.
Wales is clearly a nation of walking lovers too, with over three quarters of people saying they had walked simply for pleasure within the last month and over 60% of respondents having walked in just the last week.
An impressive 75% of respondents stated that they walk for up to an hour every day.
When asked what they most enjoyed about walking, two in five survey takers replied that they enjoyed the health benefits, while three in five said that they just enjoyed being outdoors.
One in five people said that they loved the feeling of freedom that accompanies walking.
Matthew Humphreys, Head of Operations at HF Holidays, said: “May is National Walking Month and the people of Britain are encouraged to get out and get walking.
“But, more than that, we want people to walk for pleasure and not just as a means of getting from A to B”.
Nearly two thirds of people who were surveyed responded that they preferred to walk with their partner of a family or friendship group than walking along, which highlights the social benefits that occur from getting out and about in the fresh air.
When asked to describe how they felt after a walk, over 94% of respondents used words such as happy, healthy, calm, revitalised, and said they felt a sense of achievement. 25% said that they feel much happier after a walk.
Mr Humphreys continued: “In today’s busy world, we believe that among the things that matter is an appreciation of natural beauty and a love of the open air.
“Walking doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be a means to an end, it has a huge array of social, physical and mental benefits and we want to share that with the people of Britain.”
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