Editorial – get out and walk

Get out and walk is an expression we hear as a passenger when we have so irritated the driver that they no longer want to haul us around. But it is also used as a call to action to encourage us to better health, both physical and mental.

Anyone who knows me well knows I am an advocate of walking. In 2012, I pounded the pavement in this community to a total of roughly 1,300 kilometres. Weight loss and a better frame of mind were the result. Last year that number dropped to about 1,100, but thanks to a contest between myself and Morinville News freelancer Calli Stromner, that number is likely to increase back to 2012 levels or better this year. February 5 will mark the 198th consecutive day of our contest, one that requires a minimum of two kilometres of walking or running each day.

The reason I mention Feb. 5 is because it is also Winter Walk Day, a provincial initiative to get us all out in the fresh air for 15 minutes of walking. Details on the local version of that province-wide initiative can be found elsewhere in this edition, and the Morinville News would like to encourage everyone to participate in the event.

There are actually two programs going on in February. In addition to Winter Walk Day that encourages Albertans to get out for 15 minutes on one particular day, there is also UWalk, an ongoing joint initiative between the province and the University of Alberta. That program lets you track your daily steps and flights of stairs en route to better health.

-SD

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