5 October 2014
Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) is hosting The Big Walk on World Walking Day, Sunday, 5 October at the Fountains Valley Resort, Tshwane. SRSA has identified walking as one of the vital sport and recreational activities.The Association for International Sport for All (TAFISA) declared the month of October as the walking month for wellness.
The Big Walk is a recreational event for all ages, and families are welcome. There is a 2 km walk for children, and 5 km, 10 km and 15 km walks for adults. It is anticipated that about 8 500 people could participate in the event. Across South Africa the provincial departments of Sport and Recreation will organise these walks on the 4 and 5 October 2014.
The event in Tshwane starts at 07:00 and entrance is free. You can register online at www.srsa.gov.za or get entry forms at:
- Sport and Recreation, Regent Place, 66 Queen Street
- City of Tshwane libraries
- Gauteng Provincial Department of Sport and Recreation.
The walk is an opportunity for South Africans to meet with their fellow countrymen and women while enjoying the most natural activity together. It is a fun event for the whole family and promotes the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle. It is also a chance for citizens to explore their city and walk in its beautiful parks and public areas.
This project is one of the ways in which society can come together to tackle obesity and the high incidence of lifestyle diseases. Worldwide there has been an increase in walking events as more and more people understand the health benefits to themselves. One of the principal aims of such events is to encourage an increasing number of people to take up walking as a lifestyle, and to do so consciously. Walking is easy and accessible form of exercise that can be performed anywhere and has proven to benefit the wellbeing of individuals.
The National Development Plan (NDP) calls for active information and incentives that will help people to change their behaviour and lifestyles; while the Medium Term Strategic Framework calls for a long and healthy life for all South Africans. The NDP stresses that leaders and other influential people should act as role models in promoting healthy and active lifestyles. It states that health and wellness is critical to preventing and managing lifestyle diseases, in particular non-communicable or what we call lifestyle diseases.
