Newcastle Town Moor parkrun – Getting Active in the North East - video Dailymotion

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Newcastle’s Town Moor parkrun provides a free, weekly event for walkers, joggers, and runners of all abilities, helping people in a region with high obesity rates improve fitness and wellbeing.

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00:00For many people in the North East, finding a consistent way to get active can feel daunting.

00:05The region has one of the highest adult obesity rates in England, with nearly 64% of adults

00:09overweight or obese, according to Public Health England.

00:12That's where Newcastle's Townmoor Parkrun comes in.

00:17Each week, hundreds of local residents of all ages and abilities gather to walk, jog

00:21or run a 5km route across the historic Townmoor.

00:25Organisers at Townmoor emphasise that the event is about participation, rather than

00:29performance.

00:30Whether someone is walking for the first time or training for a marathon, everybody

00:35is welcome.

00:36I think 5km is such an achievable distance for most people.

00:42Even if they start off just walking it, and then they might progress to walking and jogging,

00:46and then most people can, after 8-12 weeks, actually successfully jog around a 5km.

00:53So it's achievable, whereas a half marathon or a marathon, it's unattainable for a lot

00:58of people.

00:59Parkrun is free all across the country, and it's open to everyone, making it an accessible

01:03first step for those looking to improve fitness.

01:05The Parkrun's really helping my fitness.

01:06When I started off, I was about 20 stone, I'm now 11 stone, and my fitness is better.

01:11I find that I'm getting quicker, and I'm motivating myself more to do it.

01:15It does help, because if you go to a gym, the equipment that wasn't available, you can't

01:19always get on a treadmill.

01:20Like you said, there's loads of Parkrun's in the North East, they're all accessible,

01:24you can jump on them, and it just makes life a little bit easier on a Saturday, you know,

01:28you can get out and do some fitness.

01:30Beyond physical fitness, Parkrun fosters a strong sense of community, and regular attendees often

01:36cite improvements in mood, confidence and social connection, showing that getting active benefits

01:42both body and mind.

01:43What you can expect is lots of smiling faces, lots of marshals to show you the way, never

01:49getting lost, never coming last, and just an enjoyable, free, healthy experience, and introducing

01:56Parkwalkers throughout the back of the field means there's people for them to chat to as well, so it's

02:01not a lonely 5k walk on a bleak town hall, they've got actual other people there who make them feel included.

02:09Local organisers provide support for first timers, helping them to feel comfortable and encouraging

02:16small, sustainable steps towards better health.

02:19With free weekly opportunities right on their doorstep, Parkrun's like Tam will offer a practical

02:25way for people in a region with high obesity rates to get moving, improve wellbeing and join a supportive network.

02:32It makes it easier knowing that there's a load of Parkrun's in the North East, well for choice,

02:36two will close this morning due to the weather, you can just hop on another one, two minutes away,

02:41and they're all beautiful courses to do, so you motivate yourself, you've got different personal

02:45bests at different places and you want to go and beat them, so yeah it's really good motivational.

02:49If you're in the North East and you're thinking about doing a Parkrun, jump on it, it's genuinely

02:52classed, nobody's judging you, nobody's looking at you, just get out, go at your own pace,

02:56have fun and I promise you you'll come back for a second time.

Newcastle Town Moor parkrun – Getting Active in the North East

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