WHY WALKING CAN HELP PROTECT AGAINST CANCER
May is National Walking Month, and what better way than hearing from World Cancer Research Fund’s resident creative design manager, Geoff Simmons who in his spare time hosts walking tours around London, blending exercise with history?
Geoff was recently awarded the Tooting Community Hero Award which recognises his impact in the area, bringing people together to learn about the town's history.
Physical activity, including walking, is not just about burning calories and losing weight. It has important health benefits, including reducing the risk of developing certain cancers and other diseases. Walking can improve our mood, sleep, and energy levels, manage stress, and make us feel good.
At World Cancer Research Fund, we look at the impact that diet, weight and physical activity have on cancer risk and our evidence shows that physically activity, like walking, protects against cancer.
One of our recommendations for cancer prevention is to move more, and to be physically active as part of your everyday life – for example, by walking more and sitting less.
For the past 10 years, I’ve provided walking tours for people of all ages. The more you know about an area, the more you will love it and value your space and community. This is why I love educating locals on all the interesting history that’s taken place – it’s really special. Finding out that a double gold medal-winning Olympic athlete lived locally and putting up a plaque to commemorate him really inspired young people.
"We walk through parks and nature spots, and there’s no better feeling than connecting to nature – and it's the perfect way to get your daily steps in, too." - Geoff
he walking tours amplify and shine a light on community projects – for example, the Hindu Society in Tooting that holds yoga classes, or the mosque that carries out health checks. The tours also help to spread the word about upcoming events, bringing communities together.
The walks aren’t physically demanding at all – they’re a great way for people to get out and about and learn new things. It's particularly rewarding to go out on history walks with local schools – it’s so great to see how many children are interested in hearing about their hometown.
Another thing I love about the tours are the mental health benefits. We walk through parks and nature spots, and there’s no better feeling than connecting to nature – and it's the perfect way to get your daily steps in, too.
I’m always on the lookout for new spots and recently discovered that Tooting played an important part in the evolution of the daffodil – and I was very excited when BBC Radio Gardeners Question Time came to visit!
About the author
Geoff Simmons
Resident Creative Design Manager, World Cancer Research Fund