Healthy inside, healthy outside Walking is the perfect exercise! NHS Ayrshire & Arran is committed to • It’s free and requires no specialist equipment. • It’s available to almost everyone and you can improving the health of the people of Ayrshire do it anytime. Things to see and do and Arran. The grounds of University Hospital • It’s one of the easiest exercises to fit in to your Ayr have been developed to provide patients, everyday life. Take a stroll through the woods. staff and visitors with easy to access outdoor Notice all the different habitats space. It’s a great place to walk, watch wildlife A little walking every day , from • Improves your sense of wellbeing grassland to mature woodland. They’re or simply relax in peaceful surroundings. • Increases your energy levels • Helps you sleep better home to a rich variety of wildlife, and The newly designed paths, with lots of seating • Reduces your blood pressure the woods make a vital contribution and rest areas, are wheelchair accessible and • Reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes to biodiversity (lots of different suitable for everyone. • Keeps you trim. animals and plants). There are around 28 hectares of green space Starting out Sit and enjoy one of the many resting within the University Hospital Ayr and Ailsa Start slowly and try to build your walking regime gradually. places Hospital campus. This includes mature woodland, To get the health benefits from walking, it needs to be a in the woodland and along the where some of the oldest trees are about 150 ‘moderate intensity aerobic activity’: in other words, it needs paths. The new paths provide access to be faster than a stroll. years old, as well as a newly-planted orchard. for users of all ages and abilities. You need to walk fast enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. If you can talk, but not sing the words to your Smell the flowers in spring and Spot the wildlife favourite song, you’ve got the pace about right. summer, or the rich tang of the woods The woods are full of interesting wildlife, Burn those calories in autumn and winter. including foxes, pheasants and squirrels. You can A person weighing 60kg (9.5 stone) who walks for 30 Listen for the songs of the woods’ even see deer passing through the woods most minutes burns: well-established bird population. Bring days. In spring and summer there’s a riot of • Strolling (2mph) - 75 calories wildflowers by the paths and birds call to each • Walking (3mph) - 99 calories a pair of binoculars for a close up other overhead. • Fast Walking (4mph) - 150 calories view. Source: At least five a week, Department of Health, 2004 Spot the fine specimen trees. Look Try to walk 10,000 steps a day. Most of us walk between out for fine Scots pine, and for 3,000 and 4,000 steps anyway, so reaching 10,000 isn’t as magnificent giant redwood and a huge Explore the beautiful grounds daunting as it sounds! copper beech near Loudon House. of Ayr and Ailsa hospitals Creative management and text: James Carter. Map: Clare Hewitt. Graphic design: EC Design Studio. Photographs: James Carter, Ben Andrew, Marek Szczepanek, Uoaei1. Marek Szczepanek, Andrew, Ben James Carter, Photographs: EC Design Studio. Graphic design: Clare Hewitt. Map: James Carter. management and text: Creative Ailsa Walk

Walking and From This circuit around Ailsa Hospital follows the cycling track Ayr from Ayr roads through the site. It’s a gentle route, and Glengall all on hard surfaces. Wide, firm paths and ¾ mile Alton Wood tarmac pavements, with 1.1 km gentle slopes. Dropped Allow kerbs at road crossings. ½ hour

Loudon House Evergreen Way Stroll through fine mature woodland behind Ailsa Hospital. Some trees in the woodland are as much as 150 years old. Wide, firm path, mainly ¼ mile Croy Ward flat. Some patches under 400 m the trees may be muddy Allow See if you can spot a particularly after rain. ¼ hour large hare in the grassland below University Hospital Ayr. He’s been Ailsa Hospital Woodland Wynd around so long he’s been given a Wander down the slope in front of University name – Big Eric! Hospital Ayr, through grassland rich in wildflowers, and up through the woods across the valley. All of our publications are available in different Wide, firm path with 1 mile languages, larger print, braille (English only), audio moderate slopes. Steps 1.8 km tape or another format of your choice. Eglinton, Stair in places, with ramps (return and Greenan to by-pass them if you trip) House prefer. Some patches in Allow University Hospital Ayr the woodland may be ¾ hour muddy after rain.

Alton Wood Circuit Wander round the woods, passing through meadows and mature conifer forest. There’s a good chance Nursery of seeing deer and other wildlife along the way. From Dalmellington Wide, firm path with 1 mile short moderate slopes. 1.5 km Some patches in the Allow woodland may become ¾ hour muddy after rain.