Take the South West Coast Path challenge to raise money, and sleep better!

This October, the South West Coast Path Association has teamed up with The National Trust for a month-long fundraising campaign, helping to raise money to protect the beautiful Westcountry coastline, as well as trying to set a new world record. The overall aim of the challenge is to get people into the coast for a walk, anywhere between one mile and the entire 630 miles! The world record hoping to be broken is for the number of times the Coast Path can be covered in one month. Not only will you be helping to conserve the Coast Path for future generations, but you can also improve your health at the same time! As part of the National Trust’s Great British Walk campaign, research was conducted which looked into how walking on coastal paths affects our wellbeing. More than 40 per cent of people from the South West said they slept more soundly after being by the coast, and 13 per cent said that just thinking about the sea helps them to sleep at night. A further 21 per cent said that going on a coastal walk distracted them from the stresses of everyday life. On top of this, 83 per cent of people said they felt calmer after their walk, 82 per cent said they felt happier and 62 per cent saying they experienced a sense of escapism. Coastal walkers were said to associate their walks with childhood memories, walks with their family, and the anticipation of holidays. If you are looking to take part in the challenge, or are just looking for beautiful, coastal views to enjoy, why not take a look at our holiday cottages? North Devon coastal walks are just a short distance from us, meaning our cottages give you the perfect base to explore from! More information about the South West Coast Path challenge can be found at http://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/events/challenge/. Photo courtesy of Lewis Clarke, under Creative Commons.