WIREDGOV

As the weather gets warmer and the streets of London bloom, why not consider walking to work?

Today marks the start of Walk to Work Week, part of the charity Living Streets' National Walking Month.

It is urging London workers to pound the pavements for at least part of their commute.

Walking before or after the working day, or even during lunch break, counts and the mental, physical and workplace benefits are huge.

Research carried out by Living Streets has shown walkers are among the happiest commuters.

Each step you take uses up to 200 muscles, pumping oxygen around the body and into the brain.

This results in an alert and effcient functioning mind.

Walking also helps you to sleep better at night.

Walking for just one mile can burn up to 100 calories and people who are active are less prone to developing heart disease, diabetes and strokes, so why not step up to the walking challenge and see if you can add some extra steps into your commute, or arrange a walking meeting.

With stress being one of the biggest causes of workplace absence and walking known to be a great stress reliever, it is a great opportunity for you and your colleagues to get involved and reap the rewards.

You can even set a challenge to see who can walk the furthest.

Living Streets has a range of materials to help you get started and you can create your own online profile and track the distance you walk at www.walktoworkweek.org.uk

 To fi nd out more about walking in London, go to tfl .gov.uk/walking