Promoting walking within the Healthcare Setting

Paths to Health key focus is to encourage the inactive population to become more active through walking. In an attempt to target the least active and those who could benefit more from small changes in physical activity levels. Links have been made with key health service providers including Primary Care , Long Term Continuing Care Services, Keep Well Projects and community based health care support services.

Paths to Health can assist promoting walking within the healthcare setting by:

Primary Care Peometer Pack

Grant funding for innovative ideas to promote walking to inactive clients/patients

Primary Care Pedometer Pack (PCPP) was developed and piloted in 2005. Key recommendations were made after the initial pilot and a follow up pilot was concluded in 2007. The pack has been piloted in over 40 primary care settings including GP’s, practice nurses and physiotherapists and has been used in both a group and individual level.

The evaluations of these pilots can be viewed below

Full Phase 1 Report
Full Phase 2 Report

The pack was well received by both health professionals and patients and the pilots demonstrated that the pack was a simple and effective tool for promoting walking in the primary care setting.

Health Professionals felt that it was a useful resource for communicating the health benefits of physical activity and patients found it made them aware of their activity levels and allowed them to monitor their activity goals. The pack has also shown to be effective in increasing individuals’ step count and physical activity levels over a longer term period.

The PCPP is seen as a tool to help people make positive lifestyle changes and gain valuable social and psychological benefits. For more info on the PCPP pack click here.