Slough Libraries and Culture supports the councils fight against inactivity and obesity. We hold a wide range of healthy eating books as well as fitness training books. If your GP talks to you about ‘books on prescription’, this simply means that books should be available for you to borrow in relation to improving your mental or physical health or to improve a particular condition. We also normally hold popular seated exercise sessions in all of our branches; these are currently held online and can be viewed on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/sloughlibraries
The council’s public health team has extended its work with Active Movement, Slough primary schools and Slough early years to launch four new ‘interactive park walks.’
Working closely with Active Slough and the council’s parks team, the new interactive park walks use “QR codes” to educate residents about their local park, the benefits of reducing sedentary behaviour and the lifetime benefits of being more active. Each park has a starting point which explains the route and the health benefits of doing the walk, including number of steps and number of calories.
This ambitious initiative comes as a direct result of the success of the Active Movement programme which is taking place across 44 different setting in Slough, and has contributed towards an increase in physical activity, increase in strength and reduction of waist circumference of children. This extension of the programme into local parks will allow schools and early year’s settings the flexibility of using the QR codes for educational purposes throughout the year.
These interactive walks have been officially launched in Salt Hill Park, Kennedy Park, Upton Lea Recreation Ground and Upton Court Park.
From now until the end of the month, residents will have the chance of winning a prize by answering 6 questions that are embedded in the QR codes on each of the walks. There is a prize draw for a Slough primary school and a Slough early years setting, as well over 100 pedometers for residents that are selected from the draw.
Residents are reminded of the current rules in regard to COVID-19. Please ensure you follow social distance of 2 metres and don’t meet with more than 6 people from different households whilst doing the walk.
Sedentary behaviour is one of the precursors to obesity and poses a number of risk factors to health, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Being physically active is also a great way that we can boost our immune system and protect ourselves from infectious disease. It’s also a great way to support a healthy weight, which is increasingly important in the light of COVID-19 where obesity is one of the leading causes of death from the virus.
Slough Libraries subscribes to two online digital magazine providers RB Digital and PressReader. You can borrow magazines for free with your Library card. Here's the link: https://www.slough.gov.uk/libraries/emagazines-ecomics-and-online-newspapers.aspxCouncillor Natasa Pantelic, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “More than a third of children in England are overweight or obese by the time they finish primary school and in Slough 41.0% of year six students are overweight or obese.
“Low levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour also lead to a reduction in academic performance, concentration and behaviour in children, so it is increasingly important to get children active at the earliest age possible.”
Dr Mike Loosemore MBE, co-founder of Active Movement, added: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to extend the impact of the programme into Slough parks and the wider Slough community”
For more information, please email publichealthslough@slough.gov.uk or visit www.publichealthslough.co.uk/campaigns/active-park-walks
All the books in the images are available through Slough Libraries.
All four of our libraries – The Curve, Britwell, Cippenham and Langley – are now partially open for our new Click and Collect service and book returns. You just need your Library card and PIN number to use this new service and borrow books which our staff will select for you. For Click and Collect go to this link: https://slough.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/WPAC/HOME