Stepping into Spring

As temperatures increase and the number of rainy days decrease, many of us look to spend more time outdoors which can provide a great opportunity to up our levels of physical activity and get moving.

Current physical activity guidelines recommend adults partake in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week – or a little more than 20 minutes per day. And Spring is the perfect time to incorporate outdoor activities such as walking, or more moderate ones like riding a bike or going for a jog. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, and osteoporosis. So whatever your physical ability allows for, simply incorporating some daily movement can greatly increase your health.

And according to a new health report from Statistics Canada, simply taking small steps can add up to better health, especially for those who are overweight or are elderly. The report states that merely reducing sedentary time and adding in something as simple as walking can burn energy, and is perhaps a more achievable goal than taking on a more intensive exercise program – which can feel overwhelming to some.

One way Doctors of BC promotes taking steps towards good health is through our annual public health campaign Walk with Your Doc which supports daily movement for better health. Through this initiative, taking place May 5^th – 13^th, 2018, doctors across the province organize and host short walks with their patients to impress upon them the benefits of daily activity through simple exercise that everyone – regardless of age or physical ability – can participate in.

So with the warmer weather upon us, now is the time to step into Spring – quite literally. And if you are interested in joining Doctors of BC’s event that gets people moving, visit the Walk with Your Doc website to find an event in your community: https://walkwithyourdoc.ca/.