Dorset residents urged to make more of outside recreation after lockdown
Health bosses want us to keep up the good work with walking and cycling
Dorset residents will be encouraged to make more of the county’s outside spaces for recreation once lockdown restrictions ease.
Projects are already underway across the county to find ways of overcoming what some see as barriers to informal and formal exercise outdoors.
The county’s health and wellbeing board heard on Wednesday that it was hoped to persuade those who had turned to walking, cycling and other outdoor exercise during lockdown to continue to do so – and to get others to join them.
In presentations about persuading people to exercise more the board heard that the language used was often a barrier in itself – and by moving away from talk about ‘programmes’ and ‘regimes’ to more informal language was often enough to encourage greater participation.
The meeting heard that big health improvements could be made by simple measures such as walking just a little bit further, not sitting down for too long, or just wiggling around for a short time.
Dorset Council’s director of place, John Sellgren, said that the authority was keen to make more of its open spaces but warned that it would also need investment. He said the idea that the council should move away, to some extent, from formal leisure centres was being discussed, tilting some of its provision to outdoor spaces, but that in itself often led to challenges over access, especially for those without cars.
Portfolio holder for children’s services and education Cllr Andrew Parry said he would welcome simpler messages around exercise and moving away from the idea that it had to be formal and disciplined.
“The idea of going to the gym where strapping people are lifting weights is quite intimidating, but talking about walking and gardening is much better,” he said.
Children’s services director Theresa Leavy said that the issue of why so many young people dropped out of formal, or informal exercise, also needed to be addressed and how some facilities, such as skateparks, appealed mainly only to one demographic.
Charlotte Coward from Active Dorset told the meeting that research was underway in the county to try and remove barriers to exercise and to encourage more use of the county’s open spaces while Maria Clarke, from the Dorset Nature Partnership, said outdoor activities of all types was expected to resume as soon as restrictions allowed through organisations such as Natural Choices and Health and Nature Dorset.