Make every day ‘Walking Day’ in your wellness plan

By Dennis Archambault

As we look back at our lives during the pandemic, we certainly have a lot of stories about the pivoting we’ve gone through to endure the stress. Of course, there are always good stories. One of them has been the emergence of walkers. At least in my neighborhood. During the shelter-in-place phase of the pandemic, walking one’s dog and taking a fitness walk – along with essential shopping – was about all you could do to get out of the house. But in doing so, we discovered a somewhat dated notion of walking in the neighborhood and seeing your neighbors – if from a distance.

On National Day Walking Day 2021 we have a lot more freedom to move. But with remote working and learning still prevalent, folks are walking as they did in warm weather last year (even in cold weather, actually). You may be more interested in mindfulness and stress management, or perhaps you’re a writer looking for inspiration in nature, or a fitness walker measuring your steps and heart rate, walking offers an option for wellness that doesn’t require a gym membership and goes far to build community cohesion… certainly something to celebrate as we endure the final days (hopefully) of the pandemic.

Dennis Archambault is Vice President of Public Affairs for Authority Health