Walk for life | Senior Lifestyle E-Edition

Only 27 per cent of Australians over 65 meet the recommended 30 minutes activity per day, according to government figures.

The National Heart Foundation has promoted walking groups across the country for a number of years and although these figures are high, the benefits for those taking part have been enormous.

Local walking group The Wynnum Manly Walkers has been very successful in getting seniors on their feet with regular meetups at the beautiful foreshore.

Group organiser Dawn Campbell, 70, has been walking for 12 years and involved with the group for 10 years.

"I joined so I didn't have to walk by myself," she said. "It's so much better with a group to set the pace and very social as well. You don't feel as though you are walking as far."

The walkers meet at the George Clayton Park next to the Lighthouse in Manly four days a week and walk up to an hour at a medium to fast pace.

After Thursday's walk they have a social gathering at the Waterloo Bay Hotel and Dawn organises a dinner once a month.

There are approximately 25 members in the regular core group and up to 80 registered who are mostly seniors.

"The Wynnum, Manly and Lota area has such beautiful foreshores to walk along, it makes it quite easy to get people along."

Dawn believes that it's important to be active in later years as this helps to pump blood through the system resulting in quicker recovery time from aches and injuries.