Yes it’s that time of the time when the Ramblers Association get together with a number of other organizations to get us more active as a nation to improve our health. It is designed primarily around short walks, less than five miles, so that more people can get involved and get a taste of what our green spaces can offer.

There are events being organized right across the country, with many routes being suitable for mums with prams, toddles and lots with wheelchair access too. There are even ideas for being just a little more active in our everyday life, such as walking to the shop instead of taking the car, or even getting off the bus one stop early when travelling home from work.

Suffolk County Council are launching a ‘Walk This Way’ project which is inviting people across the county, whether they live in the centre of town or in one of the rural villages to take on a walking challenge. This looks to record the walks they undertake, then to record them online and then challenge family and friends to do the same. They will encourage people to include their favourite walks so giving others the chance to enjoy them. Those taking part will even be entered into a prize draw when the project ends at the end of May.

The project is tied in with the Suffolk Walking Festival which takes place this coming weekend. Recent research has revealed that 42% of participants of the county do complete a minimum of ten minutes walking five times a week, but they want to see this figure improved. This is an event that everyone can get involved in, have fun, and reap the benefits that walking can bring, both physical and mental. So let’s all get involved and be that little bit more active.

And to get you started as being a mine of information, here are a few facts about walking that you can bring up to impress your walking companions:

1. The verb ‘to walk’ dates back to Old English and originally meant ‘to roll’ or ‘go back and forth’. It could also mean ‘to curl one’s hair’. 

2. In 2011 Canadian Jean Beliveau completed a 46,600-mile walk around the world that had taken him to 64 countries. It took 11 years, two months.

3. At a steady 3mph without stopping, it takes just under a year to walk the length of the equator or just over nine years to walk to the Moon. 

4. Research suggests that the average British child walks 12,000 to 16,000 steps a day. The average American adult walks 5,117. 

5. It would take on average one hour 43 minutes to burn off a 540-calorie Big Mac.