We were made to move. When we don’t, our health suffers - but when we do, we thrive.
Through evolution, our bodies and brains were built to adapt. With use and challenge, we continue to grow – at any age and in any situation.
With disuse and apathy, our abilities diminish and atrophy.
This principle applies to all our potentials: physical, mental and social.
Humans have evolved to live actively in nature and to interact daily in a community, but we spend much of our modern lives inside: indoors, in our heads and lost in our inner thoughts. This fosters the illusion of our separate selves and a sense of disconnection from others, nature and the greater world outside.
Even if your favourite activities are solitary and cerebral – reading books, playing games and working on your tablet, phone or computer, being physically active can help you do what you love to do better and longer into the future.
What’s good for the body is good for the brain. After all, your brain requires stimulation, circulation and healthy sources of energy. Physical activity will reduce your risks for memory loss, strokes and heart attacks.
You don’t have to be an athlete. Being more active in and around the house counts too. Health Canada recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. You can divide this up into 10 to 15 minute periods of activity throughout each day.
And one of the most accessible and beneficial activities is simply walking. Like other forms of physical activity, walking reduces your risks for and the effects of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Physical activity can help us manage our moods, stress and anxiety, and it helps us maintain a good sense of balance, muscle strength and bone density.
But wait. There’s more.
Walking has an extra benefit.
By stepping out of our private homes and out into the community, we literally step away from our separate selves and connect to our community. We become a part of nature and a part of a social world. We foster greater connections with others and bolster our greater identity as members of a greater whole.
This spring, communities across the province will be coming together and celebrating the benefits of physical activity in general and walking in particular. May 10 is Move for Health Day around the world. Each year, community physicians invite all members of the public of every age and ability to Walk With Your Doc. I’ve been pleased to lead this annual activity in my community because it shows that physicians not only care about their individual patients but also our community. We walk the talk and do what we ask of our patients.
Join me at 6 p.m. on May 9 for an inspirational talk on healthy physical activity at the Confederation Community Centre at 4585 Albert St. in North Burnaby. I’ll talk about physical activity, its benefits and how to fit it into your daily life. Following my talk, please join me at our third annual Walk With Your Doc, a fun and easy stroll around the Confederation Park track. This year, we’ll be joined by Mayor Mike Hurley, the Burnaby firefighters and other local leaders. To reserve your seat for my talk and to sign up for the walk, call Leona at (604) 259-4450 or online: https://www.divisionsbc.ca/burnaby
This event is connected in spirit with Burnaby and New Westminster’s second annual Walk 30 Challenge. This month long event runs from April 8 to May 10. The goal is for anyone of us who lives, works or plays in our cities to track our daily walking (aiming for at least 30 minutes a day) online. The winning city earns the trophy, but all of us who walk will be rewarded with greater health and connection with our community. For more information and to register before April 26: www.walkerscaucus.ca/walk30-burnaby-newwest
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician. His Healthwise Column appears regularly in this paper. For more on achieving your positive potential in life, read his blog at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.
