Haxby walking group is a lifeline for women, says founder
"It came about because my mum got poorly. Until then, I never really did lots of walking," said Leesa, 43."Walking was the only thing that I could do to clear my head."Leesa's mum was diagnosed with cancer in February 2023 and was told she could live for up to 18 months with treatment. "She was so ill, so I just thought I needed to get my head sorted. I need to be here for my mum," Leesa said.In November 2023, her mum died and Leesa started to grow her group of walking friends, which improved her mental health.
On a Thursday, the women start walking from Haxby at 06:30, completing 10,000 steps before their children wake up."It really is early but no one regrets coming on the walk. Everyone feels amazing after," Leesa said."We literally talk about everything and anything and we have such a laugh along the way."
'Saving angels'
However, Rant & Ramble came to the rescue for one member who found it by chance. "Our very first walk, it was like my mum was watching down that day because we went to Yearsley Woods and there was a lady sat in the car," Leesa explained."She had her head in her hands and we asked if she was here for Rant & Ramble."The woman said no but the group encouraged her to join in."She used to come to Yearsley Woods twice a day and cry once on a morning at 10:00 and then once in the afternoon at 15:00 again on her own with a dog," the organiser said."She said that we were her saving angels that day. "She'd lost a job, she'd gone through a massive mental breakdown, it was horrendous."Leesa said the member was now doing much better, with a new job and a sense of hope.
"If we can do that for one person, how many people can we help that are struggling in York?" Leesa said. "There must be hundreds that are just struggling in silence and that's what we want to change."More members have joined the walking group, after being directed to it by their GP surgery. According to Leesa, Haxby Group Practice said it would put information about Rant & Ramble in its newsletter."What started as a simple walking group has become a lifeline," she added.
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Major study reveals the true state of children's health... as chronic conditions are up 20%
Children in the US are significantly more likely to suffer from a chronic disease than those in other rich countries, a shocking report has revealed. Researchers in Pennsylvania and California analyzed online health data for children who were ages zero to 19 in the US in 2023 and compared it those the same age in past years. They found in 2023, children in the US were up to 20 percent more likely to develop a chronic condition like anxiety, diabetes and autism than kids in 2011. Depression saw the greatest increase, with children and teens in 2023 approximately three times more likely to develop the mental health condition in 2011. Children and teens were also 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism, which has surged in the US due to what experts suspect is increased awareness and environmental toxins. The report also found kids and teens are nearly twice as likely to die earlier than their peers in other wealthy nations, particularly with a 15-fold increased risk of dying to gun violence. Infant mortality also increased. The report found babies born in the US were almost twice as likely to die by their first birthday compared to those in other rich nations. The report comes months after health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr laid bare the stark health issues facing young Americans including obesity, depression and autoimmune diseases and vowed to tackle them during his tenure. Experts believe chronic illnesses in children are on the rise due to increased prevalence of chemicals and toxins, poor diet and better awareness and diagnostic processes. The study researchers, however, did not give specific reasons. They wrote: 'The health of US children has worsened across a wide range of health indicator domains over the past 17 years. 'The broad scope of this deterioration highlights the need to identify and address the root causes of this fundamental decline in the nation's health.' Published this week in the journal JAMA, the study analyzed health survey data from US databases and those encompassing 18 other wealthy nations. The team found the average American child is between 15 and 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic condition compared to a child in 2011. A total of 22 conditions were found to increase by at least 10 percent between 2010 and 2023, with depression showing the biggest rise. Children in 2023 were found to be 3.3 times more likely than their peers in 2010 to be diagnosed with major depression and 3.2 times more likely to develop sleep apnea or an eating disorder Researchers in other recent studies have tied growing rates of depression in young people to social media use, global events like the Covid pandemic and exposure to violence, such as school shootings. In fact, the JAMA report found US children are 15 times more likely to die to gun violence than their peers in other countries. In 2023, children were 2.3 times more likely than those in 2010 to suffer from sleep apnea, which may be tied to growing obesity rates as increased fat deposits in the neck and abdomen narrow the airway and reduce lung capacity. The risk of autism has also increased 2.6-fold since 2010. It falls in line with the latest data that shows one in 31 children in the US are thought to have autism, a staggering increase from about one in 150 in the early 2000s. RFK Jr has suggested environmental toxins like pesticides and food additives may be to blame, but other researchers suggest the rise is from better diagnostic criteria. Meanwhile, infants were found to be 1.8 times more likely to die before age one in 2022 compared to 2007. And over 16 years, the US also experienced the equivalent of 54 excess child deaths per day compared to peer nations. This is likely due to a 2.2-fold increased risk of being born premature and 2.4-fold increased risk of suffering sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the unexplained death of an infant under one year. Preterm birth rates have been tied to an increase in older mothers and conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. There were several limitations to the new report, including a lack of data on the causes of the chronic disease increases.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Experts reveal the exact science-backed workout you should do to lose weight
Finding it difficult to keep up with your summer workout goals? Your personality may be to blame. Based on an eight-week experiment, researchers from the University College London have discovered that matching your exercise routine to your personality could make it more enjoyable and give you better results. The scientists measured strength levels, as well as the prominence of different personality traits during the study. They found that extroverts preferred high-intensity workouts, while people who tend to worry favored short bursts of activity and saw greater stress reduction from exercise. The scientists also pointed out that the most important part about exercising was doing something that brought joy to you. Study author Dr Flaminia Ronca from UCL Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health said: 'We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active. 'Our brains are wired in different ways, which drives our behaviors and how we interact with our environment. 'So it's not surprising that personality would also influence how we respond to different intensities of exercise.' The American Heart Association recommends adults engage in moderate-intensity aerobic activity for about 150 minutes per week, including 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week. For this study, the team divided 86 volunteers with a range of fitness levels and backgrounds into two groups. The first group, consisting of 25 people, was provided with an eight-week home-based fitness plan made up of cycling and strength training. The other group of 51 people continued their usual lifestyle and were only asked to stretch twice a week. During the exercise program, all participants were also asked to rate their enjoyment of each exercise session. Variations in their strength before and after the experiment was also measured through push ups, the ability to hold a plank and jumping. This was followed by a low intensity cycling session for 30 minutes and then a cycling test to measure their oxygen capacity. Additionally, scientists also studied participants' personality traits, including sociability, diligence, agreeableness, openness and negative emotions such as fear of failure, anxiety and self doubt in each participant by asking them to answer a questionnaire. The team also assessed their perceived stress levels on a scale of one to 10. Results showed that those who scored high on diligence and openness were found to engage in exercise regardless of whether they enjoyed it or were driven by curiosity to try a new workout respectively. Participants who were found to be very diligent also tended to have a well-rounded fitness level - meaning they scored higher on aerobic fitness as well as core strength - and were generally more physically active. While those who showed more anxiety and self doubt preferred private workouts and needed short breaks in between their sessions. Notably, the study also showed that the stress levels in people who experienced negative emotions significantly decreased after they began working out on their own or in private sessions. Dr Ronca said: 'It's fantastic news, as it highlights that those who benefit the most from a reduction in stress respond very well to exercise.' Senior author Professor Paul Burgess from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience explained: 'We found that people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study. 'This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.' Previous research shows that people with anxiety and stress may find private exercise particularly more enjoyable than working out in a group as it makes them feel less conscious and removes worry about being judged or compared to others. Those who showed more anxiety and self doubt preferred private workouts and needed short breaks in between their sessions This allows them to feel more in control and they are able to focus more on their personal needs and preferences - which in turn, leads to their stress levels to decrease. Additionally, people who were very social and outgoing enjoyed high intensity sessions with others around such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), team sports and intense cycling The researchers noted that all 86 participants ended the study noticeably stronger and fitter by the time after the eight weeks. Professor Burgess added: 'We hope that if people can find physical activities that they enjoy they will more readily choose to do them. 'After all, we don't have to nag dogs to go for a walk: being so physically inactive that we start to feel miserable might be a peculiarly human thing to do. In effect, our body punishes us by making us miserable. 'But for some reason, many of us humans seem poor at picking up on these messages it is sending to our brain.' The study was published in Frontiers in Psychology on July 7.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Neil Gray blasted for 'disgusting spin' on worst cancer wait times ever recorded
Neil Gray has been accused of a 'grotesque' attempt to 'spin' the worst ever cancer waiting times by hiding behind a statistic now exposed as another record failure. The SNP health secretary was urged to apologise yesterday after his 'crass' and 'desperate' bid to distract the public was revealed by the Lib Dems. The row blew up as Mr Gray faced further criticism over the Government's apparent inability to get a grip on waiting times in A&E. Public Health Scotland reported almost a third of patients waiting too long to be seen in casualty units last week barely changed from the week before. Mr Gray came under intense criticism last month when it emerged Scotland's NHS recorded its worst cancer waiting times in the first three months of 2025. Since 2016, the target has been for 95 per cent of patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer to start treatment within 62 days. But between January and March a record low of just 68.9 per cent were treated on time, down from 73.5 per cent the previous quarter. Mr Gray chose to lead a healthcare trade mission to Japan when the data was published, leading to claims he was 'missing in action' on a 'junket'. But he did issue a statement drawing attention to a different cancer statistic - which has now caused a second outcry. 'The median wait for urgent suspicion of cancer referral to treatment is 52 days, demonstrating the extensive work by staff across Scotland to treat people as quickly and effectively as possible,' he said. But official data has revealed this was a record high, up from 49 days the previous quarter, and from 41 days when records began in 2016. The median is the central point in a set of numbers. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'The SNP are fast running out of excuses. 'It is grotesque and dangerously misleading for the Health Secretary to suggest that the average wait of 52 days shows progress, when that too is the worst on record. 'This kind of desperate and irresponsible political spin does nothing to bring down waits. The Health Secretary ought to apologise to patients.' Tory public health spokesman Brian Whittle said: 'It is appalling that Neil Gray doubled down on trying to paint the worst cancer waiting times on record in a better light. 'His attempts to distract from the SNP's record-breaking failure is crass and deeply insulting to suffering patients. He should be focused on saving lives, not saving face. 'Under the SNP, cancer care is in crisis and no amount of PR can mask their shocking neglect of Scotland's health service.' But in response, Mr Gray refused to apologise and effectively repeated his original spin. He said: 'We want to improve cancer waiting times and we know some people are waiting too long. 'The median wait from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to treatment is 52 days, and once a decision has been taken to treat somebody, the median wait for that treatment to begin is three days. This demonstrates the extensive work by staff across Scotland to treat people as quickly and effectively as possible.' New data yesterday also showed A&E waits improved in the week to June 29, with 67.6 per cent of patients seen within the four-hour target, up from 67.3 per cent the previous week. Waits of over eight and 12 hours also fell by around 0.5 per centage points. But the marginal gains were only achieved after patient numbers slumped 9.3 per cent. Mr Gray said the numbers were 'moving in the right direction'. Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the health secretary was 'burying his head in the sand'. Scottish Labour deputy Dame Jackie Baillie added: 'The reality is that John Swinney and the SNP have no meaningful plan, no strategy, and no ideas to save our NHS.'
