Creston Family Doctors and Physiotherapists all invite you to join them in our third annual Walk With Your Doc. This year’s event will be held Thursday 11 May starting at noon at the Creston and District Community Complex. All people all ages are welcome to join us in this social, non competitive event. Hope to see you there!
Since 2010 Walk With Your Doc has been spreading the word to British Columbians about the health benefits of daily walking. Each year, during the week of May 10, the World Health Organization’s international Move for Health Day, doctors across BC host walking events for their patients and often for their community too. To date, over 200 walks have been organized, with hundreds of doctors and thousands of people participating. Walkers receive a free pedometer (while supplies last) to help track their steps and continue their healthier lifestyle. BC doctors prescribe walking to patients as a preventive measure against chronic illness.
Walk With Your Doc is a grass roots initiative of Doctors of BC’s Council on Health Promotion (COHP). The first event was started in Vancouver by Dr Ron Wilson, chair of the Athletic and Recreation Committee, who wanted to make a meaningful difference for his patients in a simple and fun way. The idea took hold, and COHP turned it into an annual event. Each year Walk With Your Doc grows in numbers and in 2014 we held a record-breaking 58 walks, with 300 doctors and 2,700 participants.
This year we are pleased to have the support of the Physiotherapy Association and the BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Both these associations are dedicated to increasing physical activity and improving overall health and wellness of British Columbians. Watch for your local physiotherapist and recreation professional walking side-by-side with doctors and patients throughout the province.
Why walk? Did you know that walking can have the same health benefits of running? It’s true! Walking is a simple and fun way for people of all ages and abilities to feel good and be fit. By adding just 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could:
• Lose weight. A 30 minute brisk walk can burn about 150 extra calories a day. The more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you’ll burn.
• Boost your immune system. Walking has the power to lower your risk of getting high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
• Look and feel younger. Yes, by walking every day your quality of sleep will improve. You will feel more energized and feel less stress.
• Become smarter. Our brains naturally shrink as we get older but some studies show that walking can halt that trend. Regular exercise preserves the memory and learning part of your brain by increasing blood flow that nourishes tissue.
A regularly active adult takes around 10,000 steps from morning until night. Participating in Walk With Your Doc means an additional 2,000 – 3,000 steps. Participating walkers will receive a free pedometer to track their steps (while supplies last). Be part of the walking movement and sign up for a Walk With Your Doc!