Greater Manchester launches ‘10 for 10’ campaign to get residents more active

Greater Manchester residents are being encouraged to do 10 minutes of walking, cycling or other physical activity everyday for 10 weeks as part of a new active travel campaign.

Backed by Active Travel Commissioner, Dame Sarah Storey, the 10 for 10 campaign aims to get people moving over the winter months and kick-start the New Year with some new, health-boosting habits. Getting active for 10 minutes each day can improve people’s mental and physical health and also help people adopt positive habits in the long-term.

Increasing activity levels each day can be achieved by small, simple changes to people’s daily routine, such as leaving the car at home for shorter journeys and choosing to walk or cycle instead. Experts advise that the easiest way for people get moving is to build these active travel modes into their everyday life and journeys, whether that’s popping to the shops, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or on the school run.

Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said:

“The start of a new year is traditionally the time for taking on ambitious new challenges which don’t always last, so to start 2023 we’re taking a different approach.

“The 10 for 10 campaign is a challenging but achievable option the whole family can do together and I hope as many people as possible will sign up and get involved.

“Whether it’s getting off the bus a stop early, heading to the local shops on foot instead of the car or taking the children out on their bikes at the weekend, there are so many ways to take part and it could be a different form of activity every day.

“Lots of people tell me they don’t feel fit enough to engage with travelling actively on a regular basis – this campaign is designed to help people start off small and build up.

“Active travel is one of the most important solutions we have as a population to tackle issues such as clean air, declining physical and mental health and is central to the Greater Manchester 2040 Transport Strategy.”

Active travel is also a key component in the delivery of a fully-integrated transport system, the Bee Network.  It forms part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s wider ambition for half of all journeys in the city-region to be by public transport or active travel, rather than by car, by 2040.