More than 14,000 people made their appointment with better health on Saturday

14,267 people took part in the 32 walks on January 14 which were organised by the Irish Sports Council as part of Operation Transformation the Irish Sports Council offered.  These walks were organised by Council’s network of Local Sports Partnerships and were aimed at those new to walking.

The walks will feature on the next instalment of Operation Transformation on January 18.

John Treacy, CEO of the Irish Sports Council commented: “The Council is delighted with the attendance at the walks around the country. I attended a walking event in Mallow and had a great day out. The feedback from around the country has been really positive.  The increase from 3,000 in 2011 to 14,000 is very encouraging and highlights the potential of Operation Transformation in motivating and assisting large numbers of people to get active”.

The Council is promoting walking as the perfect exercise to “kick start” a healthier 2012.  Anyone can start walking and it’s free.  There are many signed walks available around the country through the Slي na Slلinte initiative of the Irish Heart Foundation.   These walks provide kilometre interval signs which allow new walkers to assess the distances they are walking.  For the more intrepid, there is also a network of Waymarked Trails which allow people to walk in the great outdoors and explore Ireland’s scenic beauty.  Further details of these are available on www.irishtrails.ie