The Daily Mile
Quick, social, inclusive and suitable for practically any weather, The Daily Mile, is a regular 15 minutes of self-paced running or jogging in the fresh air for children, undertaken in schools worldwide, including here in the Bailiwick. Children can occasionally walk to catch their breath, if necessary, but the aim is to run or jog for the full 15 minutes.
It is now more than five years since Guernsey schools started doing The Daily Mile and it remains a very important and fun part of many primary schools’ day. Given the current concerns over health and wellbeing, especially as a response to COVID-19, it has never been more important that schools and the wider community continue to keep active, fit and healthy. The regular 15 minutes of activity that The Daily Mile brings is a perfect part of this.
The Guernsey Primary School Physical Activity Surveillance Study that we conducted in 2019/20 showed that 48% of Year 4 pupils and 40% of Year 6 pupils met the recommended guidelines of an average of 60 minutes moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Adding a Daily Mile could provide an important dose of inclusive activity as well as social interaction. Recent research showed that The Daily Mile could be 'a cost-effective part of a system-wide approach to childhood obesity prevention', especially for girls.
Locally, when surveyed in 2019, 91% of Primary pupils who participate in The Daily Mile believed that it was important to do it regularly and 98% agreed that it was good for their health.
To start or expand The Daily Mile in your school, organisation or workplace please get in touch with Alun.
Celebrating World Daily Mile Day on Wednesday 26th April 2023 at the KGV
The first ever World Daily Mile Day took place on Wednesday 26th / Thursday 27th April 2023, and primary schools and early years settings across the world took part by doing The Daily Mile. Over 150 children walked around our mile track here at KGV, called the Dorothy Langlois walk and we then organised some fun activities for them. The event was a truly global celebration to recognize all the positive benefits that daily physical activity has on physical and mental health.
Deputies do the Daily Mile on Thursday 27th April.
Over 20 deputies celebrated the Daily Mile by undertaking a mile Walk durng the lunch time break of the April states meeting. Four primary school pupils joined for a very wet but enjoyable walk.
The Daily Mile at Home
Looking for a way to stay active at home? Why not try The Daily Mile at Home for the whole family?
Anyone can take part in The Daily Mile at Home. It’s just 15 minutes of walking, jogging or running per day. It can be done anywhere; around the garden, on the beach or on the street, but please stick to the current exercise and social distancing guidelines.
Check out the resources here and here for tips on how to do The Daily Mile at Home.