IT started in a Stirling primary school and is spreading across the globe but now the Daily Mile could help transform the lives of people in higher education too.
The theory that ‘if it works for kids it could also work for adults’ is behind Dundee University’s introduction later today of a Daily Mile walk around the campus.
University staff are being encouraged to step away from their desks, slip on suitable footwear and ramble round their beautiful location as part of a new initiative to improve health and wellbeing.
Professor Pete Downes, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, will lead staff members on a walk to launch the Daily Mile scheme today at lunchtime.
The university stated: “The initiative aims to promote the many benefits of walking to members of the university community and inspire them to build physical activity into their day-to-day routine.”
The Daily Mile began in St Ninian’s school in Stirling and was the brainchild of then head teacher Elaine Wyllie. Her simple idea that walking or running a mile each day would boost children’s health and performance in education has been proven correct by the experience of tens of thousands of school children and scientific studies.
It has since been taken up by an estimated 3600 schools in 30 countries and appropriately enough it was Dundee University’s own research which showed that adults – young and old alike – could also benefit from a Daily Mile.
According to the university, the Dundee initiative “follows a pilot project delivered by the Institute of Sport and Exercise (ISE) in partnership with the school of nursing and health sciences, which showed that incorporating a mile’s walk into a person’s work routine has a positive effect on both mental and physical wellbeing”.
Feedback from the Daily Mile pilot highlighted the positive impact the walks had on mood, concentration and energy levels, with a related impact on participant’s capacity for work.
Individuals reported that “I felt with getting out of the office and away from my computer allowed me to clear my head and I felt that I achieved more when I came back into the office ... I also feel better within myself” and “as a result of going out during the day, felt my head was clearer and that I could focus on my work better on return.”
Walking a mile or more each day has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma and strokes. It can also help to make people feel happier, reduce stress, build self-esteem and lead to better sleep.
Today’s inaugural Daily Mile walks take place at any time between 12 noon and 2pm, when staff are invited to complete the ‘Campus Circular’ route bordering the main campus at a pace that suits them.
The Campus Circular borders the university’s city campus. Staff leading the Daily Mile initiative have highlighted a series of other lunchtime walks of varying lengths that colleagues can enjoy, six of which are on the university’s website.
Downes said: “I am delighted to welcome staff from different Schools and departments to participate in the Daily Mile launch.
“Enhancing personal development, health and wellbeing of staff supports our aim to become a high performance community and Scotland’s leading university. The Daily Mile initiative will help staff to make regular physical activity a part of their daily working routine.”
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