It's good to see that outdoors and health is being given a bit of a boost by the Scottish Government. A new campaign, backed by NHS Scotland, Ramblers' Scotland, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and Sustrans, aims to encourage Scots to get outdoors and do something that's better for their health, such as walking, cycling and climbing.
It's a bit of a no-brainer really, especially with such a wealth of fantastic countryside on our doorsteps, but then I guess some people do need a bit of a push to take their first steps. Even a short walk on a local path or trail a few times a week will give your heart and mind a lift.
The only bit I didn't quite get was that the launch of this campaign last week had a bouncy looking Liam McArthur MSP (Lib Dems) jumping rope with a number of youngsters. I suppose it did give their PR machine a nice line: Liam Leaps the Way to an Active Scotland.
What they failed to point out (and I guess that skipping in your backyard didn't really work for this campaign) is that skipping is one of the best ways to get in shape that there is. Just 10 mins skipping a day in your home, in the the garage or back garden (no need for exploring the scary great outdoors with this one) will zap fat, give your heart a fab workout and work numerous muscles. I wrote an article for the Daily Record some time ago reporting that skipping frazzles four times as many calories as jogging, costs less than £10 to get started and is easily squeezed into everyone's hectic lifestyles. TIME WE ALL LEAPT TO IT...
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