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By Gemma, 23, January, 2012 8:00 am

Getting started on that new year fitness regime can seem a bit daunting sometimes. Or even if you do kick-start your fitness, things can tail off quite quickly. One of the best ways to keep fit is to make your activity a part of your daily routine – and there’s no better way to do this than with your favourite furry friend.

If you’ve got a dog, a daily walk will benefit you both – a brisk walk can burn over 100 calories per mile for you and with estimates that 50% of UK dogs are overweight, it could benefit your pet too.

Even in urban areas, it’s easy to get out and walk with your dog. There are a wealth of sites with walking information or to help you find a local route. You could try http://walkit.com/.

On the weekend, or if you’ve got the time for a longer walk, I came across this site for the Top 21 Dog Walks in the UK.  The walks range from 30 minutes to over two hours, so can suit all levels of fitness – for you and your pooch. Locations include rural and urban walks, from Thieves Wood in Nottinghamshire to Portsmouth seafront in Hampshire.

Of course, if you’re out and about walking with your dog, you do need to be a responsible dog owner and the Top 21 Dog Walks site also has a good section on top tips to follow and links to the Countryside Code.

Where are your favourite spots to walk your pets – rural or urban? Let us know on the blog.

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By Dee, 7, December, 2010 5:16 pm

The question on many people’s lips is will this country ever be ready for snow?

As stranded motorists are forced to spend 13 hours or more in their cars in Scotland, controversy is raging over whether the Government has done all it could to avoid the country once again grinding to a standstill.

However, there is one thing that has definitely got better since the heavy snows last winter, with an increase in councils using mapping to show which routes are being gritted. It’s another example, like our recent Blitz map of Southampton, of how geography can be used to help communicate information in a way that’s clear and meaningful.

Mapping gritting routes by Nottinghamshire County Council

This map, using OS VectorMap District, details main routes, severe weather routes and primary routes and how and when they are gritted. Complete with postcode, street or town name search function.

Nottingham County Council gritting routes

Gritting route data for Birmingham, Solihull and Walsall

Mappa Mercia uses OpenStreetMap to show which roads in the West Midlands are gritted as well as the location of known grit bins, with the functionality to add bins yourself.

You can add the locations of grit bins to Mappa Mercia

Have you come across any other examples?

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By Adam, 11, November, 2010 10:20 am

This weeks walk of the week is a route through London’s parks, with ‘missions’ along the way, great for children to get active to, or, a pleasant stroll for adults.

Mission: Explore is one of our GeoVation winners and promotes outdoor activities in the form of ‘missions’. Once you have accepted and completed your mission, you are invited to post on their website about your experience.

Length of route:
5 km (3 mi) one way, 10 km (6 mi) return

Suitable for:
Walking, Running

The details:
The route this week starts at Queensway tube station on the north side of Hyde Park. Following the path south through the park, you will first pass the Round Pond. A potential mission here could be the ‘Squirrel skirmish’. Onwards to the Serpentine Gallery, bearing left towards The Serpentine Lake which is fed by an underground spring. The path leads beside the lake, along Serpentine Road south east towards Belgravia and Hyde Park Corner.

Look out for Wellington Arch and take special care around this busy part of London. Follow the signs to Green Park, which is one of the Royal Parks. Walk down the path to where Constitution Hill and The Mall meet outside Buckingham Palace.

Continuing east across the capital, you will now come to St James Park with its large lake which is home to ducks, geese and pelicans. It’s hard to imagine that the park used to be a swampy water meadow! Walk around the lake to the south east corner where you will see the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. The next mission: ‘Report this place’. From here, walk along Birdcage Walk to Westminster Bridge, passing the Houses of Parliament on the way.

Queensway tube to The London Eye

The end is in sight! From the north side of the river looking to the left you will be able to see the London Eye. When on the opposite end of Westminster Bridge, turn left to go past the old County Hall and the London Aquarium, to reach your destination. The last mission for this walk: ‘Another mission’.

I hope you enjoy this route; please visit our Explore Portal for a map of the route and to plot your own walks.

The maps you will need for this walk are OS Explorer map 173 and OS Landranger map 176.