We’re taking a look at some walks that have been held in June, the month in which we see the majority of walks taking place during this annual campaign.
This quick snapshot shows the how popular the Big Fit Walk is and how it is being used in a range of ways and by different groups and organisations.
So far, this year’s event has helped raise awareness of mental health issues, encouraged active travel, and highlighted a range of year-round walking groups.
Fife
The first See Me / Big Fit Walk was held in Fife on June 15.
Staff and service users from Stratheden Hospital in Cupar joined family, friends and community groups for a mile-long walk through the grounds of the facility which caters for people with mental health issues.
The event, which aimed to reduce the stigma of mental health and promote wellbeing, was a collaboration between See Me, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership and the Big Fit Walk.
See Me walks were held in Fife for the first time last year, but this year it was decided to incorporate the Big Fit Walk to increase numbers and publicise the local walk programme.
Glasgow
Glasgow Sport project Good Move Walking hosted a Big Fit Walk with a wheely cool twist on June 13.
To celebrate the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and National Bike Week, this year’s event was a Big Fit Duathlon and saw 70 participants taking part in a social 30-minute walk and a cycle in Glasgow Green.
The walking group teamed up with Free Wheel North, a charity that supports cycling for everyone, and had support from Triathlon Scotland as part of a range of come-and-try events to introduce people to multi-discipline sport.
Loch Lomond
Over 60 walkers from around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs joined the Big Fit Walk in Arrochar on June 20.
We had the perfect mix of beautiful weather and stunning Scottish scenery for this event which was hosted by our friends at Walk in the Park.
Arrochar was chosen as the location for this year’s walk to encourage local people to walk more and even start a new walking group in the village.
If so, the new group would join the five others running in the area - Balloch, Drymen, Aberfoyle, Callander and Killin - which have over 120 regular walkers.
We had the perfect mix of beautiful weather and stunning Scottish scenery for this event which was hosted by our friends at Walk in the Park.
Arrochar was chosen as the location for this year’s walk to encourage local people to walk more and even start a new walking group in the village.
If so, the new group would join the five others running in the area - Balloch, Drymen, Aberfoyle, Callander and Killin - which have over 120 regular walkers.
Inverness
We were delighted when a new grassroots campaigning group in Inverness chose to launch its ongoing active travel initiative with a Big Fit Walk.
Own Your Street Inverness wants to see the city lead the way in making streets and outdoor spaces safe, friendly and enjoyable for people of all ages, incomes and abilities, whatever their motivation.
It’s been spearheaded by local GP Dr Katie Walter who earlier this year started running health walks from her surgery at Cairn Medical Practice.
With help from Paths for All and Step It Up Highland, staff at the surgery trained as walk leaders and walks are now led by five employees in their own time.
Dr Walter, an advocate of using lifestyle changes to improve health and wellbeing, is backed on Own Your Street Inverness by a team of 15 volunteers who have been working together to get the group going.
The first event was an evening Big Fit Walk followed by a bike ride on June 21.
Own Your Street Inverness hopes its activities will encourage residents to think about how they could incorporate more walking and cycling in their daily lives.
Our Online Map
Many thanks to all the groups and teams who took time to add their Big Fit Walk to our online map. Dozens of times, dates and locations were put on our map which has given us a great idea of where good things are happening! One of the groups will also win an iPad mini in our free prize draw.
Also, we also have a prize draw too for walkers who send back their walk registers to us. There's a Fitbit and £50 of shopping vouchers up for grabs.
Media coverage
This year, we were determined to make sure that as many people as possible were encouraged to take part in the Big Fit Walk so we have been very busy promoting the campaign.
Following our successful launch at Aberdeen Youth Games at the end of May, news of the Big Fit Walk has received extensive media coverage, appearing in over 30 print and online news sites across Scotland in early June.
Get involved
There is still time to get involved in this year’s campaign; you can still organise a last minute walk.
To join a walk or host your own, visit www.bigfitwalk.scot.