To the editor,
Walking is a great form of physical activity. It's good for the heart and for the environment. Best of all, it's free and easy to do. Changing the way we think about walking and how often we do it---as a form of active transportation or as social activity with friends---will help us build a more active and healthy province.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection and the Ecology Action Centre, recently launched a new province-wide initiative to do just that. Heart&Stroke Walkabout is aimed at putting feet back on the streets and walking back into the hearts and minds of Nova Scotians.
Our new interactive website provides an online forum for walking groups and individuals across the province to connect about walking. It includes tips on where to walk and information about creating communities that support walking.
Many Nova Scotians are already walking and Heart&Stroke Walkabout is a place to unite those efforts to help start a walking culture. Not sure where to walk? Become part of the online community at Heart&Stroke Walkabout and check out walking routes across the province or add your own.
As a province, we are among the most physically inactive people in the country. This isn't a title we want to keep and it's time we made a move. Take the first step today, visit walkaboutns.ca to change the way you think about walking.
I'm encouraging all of us to consider how we can add more steps into our everyday lives: as little as 30 minutes a day most days of the week---and it doesn't need to be all at once. Whether you walk to work, join co-workers on a walking meeting or walk together as a family unit, every step counts.
By Brianne Lynch, Heart&Stroke Walkabout Coordinator
