Tell me what you think about community health walks

[Gayle77]

Hi all I'm interested in your personal opinions views and experiences about community health walks please share your ideas and what you would want and or expect from these events, how would it meet your individual needs and is it an accessible to you or available in your area? Your thought on this are valuable to me

[Hidden]

I am glad to have landed here. Ordinarily I tend to be a bit of a solitary walker - partly because none of my mates want to join in! Just checked and we appear to have a healthy walks programme in the town, although the website article is dated 2010! Anyway, I have filled in a form to volunteer as a walk assistant.

For some time I have been looking for something to do to make a contribution to my community and this is right up my street!

I am totally sold on walking - can help with weight control but better than that is the way that it makes you feel - a real mood enhancer - even when walking alone. Sharing this with others would be good.

[syltownsend]

I'm new here and live in the US. I'd like to put in a plug for an organization called Walk With a Doc neighborhood walking clubs. It was started by a cardiologist at Mt. Carmel Hospital right here in Columbus Ohio. One of his patient's health had deteriorated rapidly and he asked her why. She told him she'd lost her walking buddy. So the doctor offered to walk with her.

Walk With a Doc is now nationwide and has groups in several other countries. I have been walking with my neighborhood club for about a year. We meet twice a month March through November. We get a free step counter, tee shirt after three walks, and a health talk by a doctor before each walk.

Walking with a group is a great motivator. Benefits include healthful exercise, socializing and getting outdoors in nature. Personally, I'm much more likely to actually get out and walk if I have a group, date, time and place to start. I highly recommend it!

For more information see walkwithadoc.org