Six new walk routes in Spain’s Malaga to inspire daily exercise

THE Sports Department of Malaga City Council has designed six new routes for the ‘Walk around the city’ programme.

With these additional routes, Malaga city offers residents and non-residents a total of 12 different walking routes, with at least one in each district of the capital.

This programme is a further commitment by the Sports Department, through the Sports Medicine Section, to promote healthy habits among citizens and is directly linked to other programmes in the area such as ‘Physical fitness for the elderly’ and ‘Prevention of childhood obesity’.

All the routes, which are of low intensity except for the Morlaco-Limonar, last between 60 and 90 minutes and are aimed at all citizens, regardless of age or previous physical condition, as each person can choose the pace that suits them best.

The walking-routes, with individual maps can be consulted on the Sports Department’s website: http://deporte.malaga.eu/medicina-deportiva/paseos-por-la-ciudad/

The new urban routes include:

• Centro-Plaza de la Merced (4,800 metres, 75 minutes approximately, low intensity)    
     
• Palma-Palmilla (4,970 metres, 60 minutes, low intensity)
     
• Morlaco-Limonar (4,670 metres, 75 minutes, moderate intensity)
     
• Carranque-Tiro de Pichon (4,220 metres, 60 minutes, low intensity)
     
• Tiro de Pichon-Guadaljaire (3,730 metres, 60 minutes, low intensity)
     
• Guadaljaire-Estadio atletismo (5,270 metres, 90 minutes, low intensity).

These six new routes join six others that already exist within this programme, which has been running since 2013.

All the routes are clearly signposted from start to finish and many go past open-air fitness areas or exercises stations for additional exercise.

According to health experts the cardiovascular benefits of walking are well-grounded; like other forms of regular moderate exercise, walking improves cardiac risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, vascular stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress.

Experts advise that physical activity should be carried out for at least 1 hour a day and at a moderate pace in order to obtain health benefits.