Are you active for life>?

People of all ages and abilities are signing up to the Active For Life programme launched by Epping Forest District Council and Epping Forest Primary Care Trust earlier this year.

Activities cover the complete age range from children to pensioners and part of the programme features ‘Fitness in the Outdoors’, with walking routes in the forest and local countryside.

Family Fitness Walks are suitable for the whole family - including the dog! Each features an added interest such as wildlife spotting, forest fitness boost and doggie hunts. The walks start from Stonards Hill Recreation Ground car park (Epping) at 10:30am every Saturday and cost £4 for the whole family and there is a qualified instructor to lead the walks.

The second walking scheme, unique to the Epping Forest District, is Buggy Power Walks for mums or dads and their youngsters in buggies. These take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1:30pm in a range of locations across the district,  led by a qualified fitness instructor. As paths are mostly tarmac or gravel, all types of buggies are suitable. All routes start and finish in a car park and most have a picnic area. Anyone can join in the walks, including mums-to-be or parents whose children are in school.

For older people, Active For Life offers seated exercises focusing on improving fitness, strength and mobility and the hugely successful ‘Lifewalks’ programme, which attracts around 150 walkers each week across the distruct.

Plans are in hand to address the fitness needs of working people through lunchtime and after work activity sessions and children, through fitness classes based in rural areas not served by a local sports facility.