BackTry our Mince Pie Calculator
With Christmas just around the corner, national charity Living Streets has launched an im-mince-ly exciting project to get people walking, through their Walking Works campaign!
We can all get carried away with a spot of feasting over the festive period, but with research showing that people gain an average of 5lbs in the four week Christmas period[1], it is important that we know how to combat that pesky Christmas bulge. But never fear: Walking Works, a campaign funded nationwide by the Big Lottery Fund, is here to help. With many of us office-bound all day, and government statistics showing we now jump in the car for over a fifth of journeys shorter than one mile, the Walking Works campaign highlights the role that walking can play in bringing some much needed fresh air into our daily lives, as well as burning off those excess Christmas tree-ats.
The revolutionary online mince pie walking calculator which going goes live today at www.walkingworks.org.uk/calculator, uses scientific formulas to work out the number of calories you burn off when you walk, and rewards you for your effort in delicious mince pie points. The more you walk, the more mince pies you can either consume, or (even better) use as a measure to help you bask in the glow of your slender Christmas silhouette.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said:
“The mince pie walking calculator is a brilliant way of demonstrating how many calories you can burn by simply incorporating walking into your everyday commute, and what better way to be rewarded than by earning mince pie points!
“We are urging commuters to pledge to walk some or all of the way to and from work to see what a difference it makes to their everyday lives. Walking gives us time to ourselves, space to plan for the day ahead or to unwind, and a chance to have a good nosy into what’s happening in our local area. You’ll be amazed at how such a simple step can transform your day – give it a go on the run up to Christmas and monitor the number of mince pies you could burn off!”
To pledge to walk more or to find out about using the calculator in your workplace please visit www.walkingworks.org.uk. Our Walking Works Mince Pie Calculator goes live on 1st December at www.walkingworks.org.uk/calculator - check it out and see how many mince pies you could burn off on your walking commute!
For more information, please contact Anna Powell, Press Officer on 020 7377 4914 or email anna.powell@livingstreets.org.uk. For any out of hours press enquiries please call 07545 209865.
Mince Pie Facts:
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Centuries ago mince pies were large dishes filled with various meats, mixed with fruits, peels and sugar
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In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell made the eating of mince pies on Christmas day illegal. This was voted the 4th most ridiculous British law in 2007
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English tradition demands that the mince meat mixture should only be stirred in a clockwise direction. To stir it anticlockwise is to bring bad luck for the coming year
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Mince pies should always be eaten in silence
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It is considered good luck to eat mince pies on each of the 12 days of Christmas and even luckier to eat one on each day in a different home
Notes to editors:
Living Streets’ national Walking Works campaign is part of a portfolio of projects being delivered by a Consortium of the leading walking cycling and health organisations and funded through the Big Lottery Fund's Wellbeing Programme. The Programme provides funding to support the development of healthier lifestyles and to improve well-being.
The Consortium is led by Sustrans and includes British Cycling, CTC, Cycling England, Living Streets, London Cycling Campaign, the National Heart Forum, the National Obesity Forum, the Ramblers’ Association, Campaign for Better Transport and Walk 21. It is delivering a portfolio of projects that will enable 2 million people nationwide to become more physically active by walking or cycling as part of their daily lives by 2012.
The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
Living Streets is the national charity that stands up for pedestrians. With our supporters we campaign to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets, where people want to walk.
We have been the national voice for pedestrians throughout our 80 year history. In the early years, our campaigning led to the introduction of the driving test, pedestrian crossings and 30mph speed limits. Since then our ambition has grown. Today we influence decision makers nationally and locally, run successful projects to encourage people to walk, and provide specialist consultancy services to help reduce congestion and carbon emissions, improve public health, and make sure every community can enjoy vibrant streets and public spaces.
[1] British Nutrition Foundation, 2007
Published on: 01/12/2009
