Individual & Family

Bursting with inspiration & tools to help you take those first steps towards your Daily Mile, this Daily Mile toolkit is designed to help you if you are looking to start running/jogging/wheeling/walking a Daily Mile either on your own, with family or friends.

It also includes plenty of tips & support to help you stay motivated, as well as activity sheets for all to enjoy.

The toolkit is divided into 7 sections;

(Each section can be quickly accessed by the below hyperlinks.)

  1. Starting out
  2. Breaking down Barriers
  3. Run/Jog/Wheel/Walk with Others
  4. Boosting Health & Wellbeing
  5. Deciding Where & When-Top Tips
  6. Staying Motivated
  7. Celebrating Progress & Success

1. Starting Out

Are you curious about exercise and maybe considering adding a regular activity into your life? OR are you wondering how to get started and achieve a Daily Mile that fits into your life?

Running/jogging/wheeling/walking are straightforward, accessible activities that you can do to help your physical and emotional health.

You simply need;

  • Something comfortable to run/jog/wheel/walk in and suitable for the weather & temperature. You DON’T need special clothing, footwear, equipment or money. Running/jogging/wheeling/walking is free!
  • A small amount of time to run/jog/wheel/walk. 5, 10, 20 minutes or more. Remember a 20 minute walk or a 10 minute run at steady pace is about a mile. Start small and build up. You can do this!
  • To consider where you might run/jog/wheel/walk. From your own doorstep or further afield. Whatever works best for you.
  • To think about places locally you would like to see. Consider routes that join 2 landmarks i.e. the park to the café or the doctors to the library.
  • To make a decision to run/jog/wheel/walk & plan to build it into your routine.
  • To be kind to yourself. If you don’t exercise when planned, don’t worry just try again another time.

2. Breaking Down Barriers

The thought of doing a Daily Mile can be overwhelming, remember a mile only takes about 20 minutes of walking and about 10 minutes of running. A mile is approximately 2000 steps.

  • Sometimes it’s hard to imagine fitting it into your day, but with a little planning and knowing the benefits, you will find it easier to find the time.
  • Some find the thought of exercising dull, but you can run/jog/wheel/walk with friends, family, with children and the dog too.
  • It can be very sociable and doing a Daily Mile lets you see & discover things you may never have noticed before.
  • Feeling you won’t have the right ‘kit’ isn’t a problem either, as you don’t need anything special to wear, just comfortable footwear and clothing.
  • Some feel a sense of guilt doing something for themselves. Running/jogging/wheeling/walking is so good for you , that you will be healthier, happier and have more energy for everyone else as a result.

3. Run/Jog/Wheel/Walk with Others

Spending time with friends, family or neighbours of all ages boosts your health & wellbeing. Does running/jogging/wheeling/walking with others sound enjoyable? If so, consider inviting others to join you. You can run/jog/wheel/walk with pushchairs and dogs too. Ask your friends, family, neighbours or work colleagues.

Download a Daily Mile Invitation and invite family, friends and colleagues to enjoy a Daily Mile with you.

When running/jogging/wheeling/walking with others, it is also worth considering;

  • Is the route suitable for use with a pram/buggy or a wheelchair?
  • Are the paths/pavements wide enough for running/jogging/wheeling/walking side by side, with children, elderly relatives or people requiring additional support?
  • Is the ground suitable for all? Think about steps, steepness and busy roads.
  • Consider the lighting, the possible noise and how busy it might be where you are planning to go. Will this be suitable for the activity?
  • If running/jogging/wheeling/walking with dogs, check they are allowed.
  • How well-lit is the route at dusk or when dark? Enjoying your run/jog/wheel/walk and not being anxious is important, whether alone or with others.
  • Set up a group Whatsapp to make plans, remind each other and celebrate involvement.
  • Share motivational tips or try fun challenges with your friends and family
  • See Daily Mile Staying Motivated
  • Include activities for others as they run/jog/wheel/walk. Help them learn, laugh and love their Daily Mile too.

Daily Mile Invitation

Download a Daily Mile Invitation and invite friends, family, or colleagues to enjoy a Daily Mile with you

Download the activity sheets:

I Can See It Bingo Sheet

Try the ‘I Can See It Bingo’ sheet and see how many of the treasures you can spot on your Daily Mile. Aim for a complete line, column or a full house of ticks. Maybe compete against another person, group or family.

Check out the other activities in this toolkit- there’s quite a variety! (See above for links)

I Spy, Shape Detectives and Colour Detectives

The Daily Mile I Spy, Shape Detectives and Colour Detectives activities provide 3 different activities to engage everyone.

Remember there are other activities in this toolkit- there’s something for everyone. (See above for links)

4. Boosting Health & Wellbeing

A Daily Mile will support your wellbeing, including your physical, emotional & mental health. The Daily Mile supports each of the Five Ways to Wellbeing, developed by the New Economics Foundation (2008) and used by many local, regional and national community & health organisations across the UK.

The five evidenced-based actions are designed to improve personal wellbeing, these are;

  • Connect – building connections with others can support and enrich you every day.
  • Keep Learning – learning something or visiting somewhere new can increase your confidence and your self-esteem. 
  • Be Active – moving  helps to release feel good hormones which support your overall wellbeing.
  • Give – giving time or words to others is proven to support wellbeing.  
  • Take Notice – enjoying the moment, being aware of the here and now and noticing the world around you can help you appreciate what matters. 

Let’s see how The Daily Mile can support each of these.

5 Ways to Wellbeing (PDF)

At a Glance – A Daily Mile can help…

At A Glance Poster (PDF)

5. Deciding Where & When – Top Tips

Choosing where and when to do a Daily Mile and knowing how far a mile is may be tricky.

Check out our Top Tips:

  • How about starting a run/jog/wheel/walk from your doorstep? This can save time and the familiarity can reduce anxiety.
  • Maybe add a run/jog/wheel/walk onto the school drop off or walk to the shops instead of driving. Finding a time and place that fits your routine will help.
  • Consider a run/jog/wheel/walk further afield, take public transport or drive to a different place. Look for free carparks.
  • Remember some routes may be ‘there and back’ others may be ‘circular’. Work out which is best for you.
  • Think about taking a different route to the shops/doctors/friends. This could increase the distance and help to discover new sights while fitting into your day’s plans.
  • Make a flask of coffee to drink along the way or swap a drink-in coffee at a café for a takeaway coffee and do a Daily Mile instead. A mile will take less time than an average takeaway coffee does to drink.
  • Take turns with friends and family to choose a route. This will provide variety and won’t all be left to you.

There are many free Apps and websites to help you with Working Out a Mile or help you Planning a Route if you are looking for support or inspiration. These downloads include the direct links you will need.

Working out a mile

Working out how far a mile isn’t always easy. Why not try the following ideas to help you;

  • At a steady pace a mile is about 20 minutes walking. Time yourself walking
  • At a steady pace a mile is about 9/10 minutes running.
  • Using free technology on your phone/tablet can help you to help count your steps. A mile is about 2,000 steps. Check out the download suggestions above.
  • Decide how long you want to run/jog/wheel/walk for, set a timer on your phone for half that time. When the alarm rings, turn around and go back to the start.
  • Build up to walking 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back or run 5 minutes there and 5 minutes back. This will be roughly a mile.
WORKING OUT A MILE (PDF)

6. Staying Motivated

Once you have decided to try a Daily Mile, getting started and staying motivated can sometimes be tough. The 6 Steps to Staying Motivated are;

  • Finding inspiration & setting bite sized goals
  • Rewarding progress
  • Making it fun & mixing it up a bit
  • Doing a Daily Mile with others
  • Tracking progress is a great motivator.  Choose what you want to track and print a Daily Mile Minute Tracker or a  Daily Mile Step Trackers to record progress on. Display at  work or at home as an additional motivator.
  • A Daily Mile Diary is a great way to monitor progress made and provides a space to record how exercising makes us feel too.

For more details of the above 6 steps take a look at the Staying Motivated Guide

Track your progress

Choose what you want to track and print a Daily Mile Minute Tracker, or a Daily Mile Step Tracker to record your progress on.
Display at work or at home as an additional motivator.

Monitor your progress

A Daily Mile Diary is a great way to monitor progress made and provides a space to record how walking makes us feel too.

7. Celebrating Progress & Success

Remember to celebrate your progress & successes.

Reward yourself when you reach your goals. Phone a friend for a chat, buy a magazine to read, sit and enjoy the surroundings, indoors or out. Small gifts of time to yourself can be very fulfilling.

Remember to celebrate the achievement of goals or targets if you have done a Daily Mile as part of a group.

Daily Mile Certificate

Complete your own Daily Mile Certificate – Be proud, celebrate and continue your good work.

Individual & Family

Groups & Organisations

Employers & Workplaces