The Stevenson Walkers is a sports club based in Melbourne that focuses on the activity of walking. The club is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle and building connexions within the community.
The club is supported by the National Heart Foundation of Australia, and its goal is to improve heart health through regular walking. Walking has been shown to have numerous benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, managing weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol, reducing the risk of certain cancers, maintaining bone density, improving balance and coordination, and enhancing overall mental and physical health.
The Stevenson Walkers offer personal walking plans to help individuals become healthier and happier in just six weeks. These plans are free and are designed to meet the national physical activity guidelines.
In addition to personal walking plans, the club also has walking groups that meet regularly. These walking groups allow members to build connexions with others in the community and walk together towards a healthier heart. Members can search for a walking group within a specified radius of their location to find one that suits their needs.
For healthcare professionals, the Stevenson Walkers offer a structured and supportive walking programme that can complement their care for patients. This programme can be tailored to individuals who prefer to walk alone or those who prefer to walk in a group. Healthcare professionals can refer their patients to this programme to help them meet the national physical activity guidelines.
The club is proud to have members who have experienced positive results from walking. Maria, a group walker, shares her story of how she walked away from being overweight, diabetic, and having blood pressure issues. She started with a goal of walking 5,000 steps a day and eventually increased it to 15,000 steps a day. Through her dedication to walking, she was able to improve her overall health and no longer had diabetes or blood pressure problems.
The Stevenson Walkers have a Facebook group where members can join the walking community and connect with other walkers. The club also has a Walker Recognition Scheme to reward members for their dedication to walking and improving their health.
For those interested in starting their own walking group, the club provides resources and support for becoming a Volunteer Walk Organiser. Walk Organisers plan the group's walking routes and meeting place, set the time and day of walks, and welcome new members. They receive training and access to an online profile to manage their group, along with ongoing communications, invitations to events and workshops, and a thank you gift for signing up.
To become a member of The Stevenson Walkers, individuals must be over 18 years old and have a friendly, enthusiastic, and welcoming attitude towards others.