Good Health, Naturally

We have over 4.1 million reasons to improve your health and have fun at the same time!
That's how many hectares of marvellous parks we have here in Victoria.

A copy of the Healthy Parks, Healthy People: Good Health Naturally brochure is available here.

The 12th Australian Masters Games are to be held in Geelong from 20 February 2009 to 1 March 2009. Whether you're a seasoned Masters competitor, on the come-back trail or just looking to get active and healthy, with 70 sports, the Games have something for everyone.
Further information is available here.

Thirty minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking) on most days or even better, every day, is all that's needed to gain health benefits.

You can accumulate this 30 minutes in shorter bouts, such as three 10-minute walks. Why do it indoors when you can excite all of your senses by choosing one of the hundreds of parks across Victoria.

There are many scenic walks and bike trails all over Victoria and the Heart Foundation and Parks Victoria are working together to make parks even more heart friendly.

A heart condition need not stop you from enjoying our wonderful parks, so talk with your GP about a suitable management and physical activity plan.

Ask your GP about how to get healthy in parks.

Contact the Heart Foundation's Heartline on 1300 362 787

Remember your mum sending you outside to fill your lungs with fresh air? What better place to do it than one Victoria's magnificent parks.

Asthma Victoria has a range of information and resources to assist you. Your GP can teach you how to maximise your enjoyment of life with ways you can manage your medication and recognise how to keep your asthma under control. So check with your doctor.

While exercise is healthy, some people should seek guidance on how best to manage conditions like asthma. Although many people with asthma have exercise as a trigger. Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA) can be easily managed. EIA should be no barrier to a full, active and healthy lifestyle – including regular visits to one of our parks.

Contact Asthma Victoria on 1800 645 130

Move It or Lose It! Regular exercise is good for your joints particularly if you have arthritis. What better place to stroll than in a local park where you can take in the sights and sounds of our natural heritage while keeping fit?

Your GP can guide you on a management plan that will help keep your joints healthy. There is treatment that can maximise your potential and physical activities that you can do regularly that help keep your joints healthy.

Arthritis Victoria and Parks Victoria are working together to make our parks an accessible option for everyone. Plan a walk that suits you best – such as gradient of walks, location of seats and overall distance.

Contact Arthritis Victoria on 1800 011 041

Why walk on a treadmill indoors when you can take in some of the best views our state has to offer?

Why ride your bike only on a road when there are some amazing trails with sounds and sights to exercise all your senses?

A healthy park system is a vital component of a healthy community – parks offer tranquil natural areas where you can release your stress. Beautiful venues to uplift your spirit and a myriad opportunities for healthy exercise. Parks Victoria is dedicated to protecting and improving the wonderful natural environment – and helping Victorians become healthier.

Victoria's parks belong to all of us. Go on – get healthy in a park today. Ask your GP how!

Throughout the world there is growing awareness of the important role parks play in the health of the community. Healthy Parks Healthy People is an initiative of Parks Victoria and is endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Arthritis Victoria, Asthma Victoria and the Heart Foundation.

Graded Walks

The Benefits of Walking

Physical activity plays an important role in improving and maintaining everybody's health. Walking is an activity that is easily accessible to most people. It is the most popular form of exercise in the world, and is the most popular form of exercise amongst Arthritis Victoria's members. Walking has a number of benefits for mind and body, such as reduced stress, enhanced mood, increased heart and lung fitness and a number of social benefits. These and other significant benefits can be obtained from undertaking 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as walking every day of the week, if possible (Moody, 2001). It is important to remember that this 30 minutes does not have to be done all at once. For example, it may be more convenient to perform 3 lots of 10 minute exercise bouts throughout the day.

Arthritis Victoria is currently working with Parks Victoria to bring more information about walking tracks in specific parks to people with musculoskeletal conditions. This information will then assist people with musculoskeletal conditions to make informed decisions about appropriate exercise.

• 12 people with arthritis in the hands, neck, legs and/or feet.
• 7 people with mild to moderate asthma.
• 5 people with mild to moderate heart problems.

The Walks

General Information: Overall, the 3 Jells Park walks were rated as having excellent surfaces and relatively flat. Seating and other resting opportunities were adequate, and toilets access is available close to the walking tracks. The Jells Park walks were rated as suitable exercise options for people in the three group of volunteers.

Walk A : Distance: approx 1.6km Time: 10-15 minutes
This is the shortest of the three Jells Park walks. It is very flat and sealed track.

Walk B : Distance: approx 2km Time 20-25 minutes
This track includes some opportunities for viewing plant and wildlife. It is a flat track with both sealed and non-sealed sections. This walk includes a bridge which may be inappropriate for people using walking or mobility aides.

Walk C : Distance: approx 3km Time 40-45 minutes
Walk C is the longest of the walks. It consists of both sealed and unsealed surfaces that hug the lake foreshore. This walk is ideal for viewing the bird life of Jells Park. It is mostly flat with one downhill and one uphill section.

Walking is something that you can enjoy almost anywhere at anytime. Making a social event out of it can make walking all the more enjoyable. One option for accessing a more social walk is to contact the VICFIT 'Walk and Talk' program. Some Arthritis Victoria Self Help Groups also have walking groups. For more information, please contact Arthritis Victoria on 1800 011 041.