#Try20 tips

As well as being an easy way to stay active, walking can help us feel connected to our community and those around us.

Invite a friend or family member out for a walk this National Walking Month! You will benefit from the fresh air and exercise, while having the perfect chance to catch up.

Reduce boardroom boredom and take your meeting outside! 

Grab a colleague and take a walking meeting to get those creative juices flowing.

According to neuroscientists, walking increases blood flow to the brain, which helps people to express ideas more fluently. And - regular exercise has been shown to cause an overall work performance boost of about 15%! 

Sitting for long periods of time has been shown to dramatically increase your chances of suffering from health problems. As well as getting active, a short walk during the working day will boost your energy and productivity.

Each meeting could have a different route. You could explore the local area while having your meeting. Working from home? Take that call on the go!

Why not try to find some greenery while you're walking?

Let nature guide you! That might be at a park, on tree-lined streets, or at your local nature spot. Listen out for the different types of bird song, and if you're out with your little ones, get them to count how many different things they see.

Why not try a 'fake commute' and go for a walk at the start or end of the working day – or both?

A 20-minute walk before work will energise you for the day ahead, while a stroll afterwards can help you relax and switch off.

Get your colleagues involved by downloading our #Try20 checklist and and seeing who can tick off the most tips throughout the month.

Take snapshots of your walk to make things more interesting. 

Try capturing your local park, sunset or town centre on your camera or smart phone, and share it with friends or family – or on Instagram. You might just snap some long-lasting memories. 

Make the most of your street with a pop-up park or parklet. 

These are places where people can stop and rest and where children can play. They're also a good way for people without gardens to spend time outside and connect with their neighbours.

Why not create a parklet with friends to make walking more of an event?

Check out our Parklets Toolkit, along with some other inspiring reads about how we can put community at the heart of our streets.  

Why not walk to your local shop instead of driving?

It's a good way to get some exercise and you might discover parts of your local area that you never knew existed! If it's a bit further away or you have a lot to carry, you could get the bus back.

Just a 20-minute walk can transform fitness levels, improve your health and reduce stress and anxiety. Plus, there's no fighting over a parking space!

Did you know? When streets are regenerated to boost walking, there is a corresponding impact on turnover, property values and rental yields. For well-designed projects, sales can increase by 30% or more when footfall is boosted. Read more about our Pedestrian Pound research.

See how many different things you can spot in your local area with our #Try20 scavenger hunt!

You could count how many you see something – like park benches, pedestrian crossings or people –and you can also print out our fab scavenger hunt sheet to keep little ones busy once you get home. 

Get out and explore! 

See what adventures you can get up to as part of your walk. That might be a spot of litter picking, turning your walk into a scavenger hunt or taking snaps of all the pretty things you see.

You can do this on your own or with friends and family, and you might be able to tick off more than one #Try20 tip on your trip.

Children can help you see the world – and walking – from a different perspective, so let them guide you on your walk.

It's a great way to have fun and get some exercise and fresh air. Walking has been proven to improve children’s energy and concentration levels, so it might also benefit your child's learning. 

If you don’t have kids, you can still have a good explore (see tip no 8 for inspiration). 

Make your daily walk a bit different by getting creative.

Take inspiration from The Walkbook: Recipes for Walking and Wellbeing, a collection of 30 walking ‘recipes’ from UK artists to inspire us to get outside and walk. This free resource (available below) supports creative walking and wellbeing and challenges us to approach walking in different ways, like a poetry walk or walking indoors. 

Whatever your fitness level and wherever you live,  there's something for everyone!  

Turn your walk into a treat.

Listening to music or a podcast as you stroll can help you switch off, which is  why it's one of our #Try20 tips. 

Why not create your own 20-minute playlist? Here’s one we created to inspire you... 

• Walk This Way, Run DMC and Aerosmith
• Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves
• Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed
• Walking on Broken Glass, Annie Lennox
• I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers

Don't forget to be mindful of your surroundings and other people when you're wearing headphones on a walk. Happy listening! 

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to see rubbish on many of our streets, pavements and walking routes.

Why not do a spot of litter picking while you’re walking? Filling just one bag could make make a huge difference. 

There are lots of groups that organise litter picks. Ask your local Living Streets group – or at your local village hall or online community pages.

Longer days and lighter nights mean that you can enjoy an evening stroll.

You could head out with a friend, a loved one or by yourself to unwind at the end to the day. 

Research suggests that regular physical activity can help improve sleep at night. What's not to love about that?

Walking isn't just about keeping fit. It's also a great way to unwind and connect with our environment.

Take a mindful meander and take in the sights, smells and sounds you encounter as you walk.

As well as improving mental and physical wellbeing, walking can help us spend time with others, reducing feelings of depression and loneliness.

When you walk more, you’re likely to feel healthier and happier as a result.

Bring a bit of colour to your walk! 

Before you head out on a walk, choose a colour that you're going to look for – or search for the whole rainbow! 

Walking with purpose can help you spot things you might not have noticed before. 

Why not take some photos of whatever colourful things you spot and share them on social media using the #Try20 hashtag?

Every weather is walking weather! Come rain or shine, as long as you’re prepared, you can get in your daily 20!

Children love jumping in puddles and it turns out walking in the rain is good for adults' wellbeing too. 

Just make sure you have a set of waterproof clothing (and keep sunscreen and a bottle of water in your bag in case the weather changes!) and you'll be sorted. 

Going for a walk can be a great way to get more familiar with your local area – and the people who live there.

Why not reach out to someone this National Walking Month and invite them on a walk?

Saying hello to a passer-by might lead to a chat and you might make a new friend for future walks.  

The latest research by the Office of National Statistics states that around 1 in 20 of us feels lonely always or often.

Our research has found that over half (68%) of older adults feel more connected with their community after taking up regular walking, and nearly three quarters (70%) feel less lonely or isolated – proving the power of walking for those who are feeling secluded.

Brisk walking is a great way to boost your fitness and energy levels, plus you'll cover more distance in your 20 minutes!

Try walking on different surfaces and inclines, as it uses different muscles and will strengthen them, too.

Thank you for deciding to #Try20, hopefully you're feeling healthier, happier and proud of your decision to get more active and do your bit for the environment.

Share your highlights and let us know about your #Try20 mission. Where did you go? Who did you meet? What did you find along the way?

Tag us in your photos and tell us your favourite thing about #Try20 on social media, tagging in @LivingStreets. 

Want to keep going? Why not choose your favourite tip and give it another go.